Second Breath of the Guardians
by Midnyght Saber
Summary: AU. Danny and Sam have finally come to terms with their love, but when Sam turns herself half-ghost to help Danny, they find that they now must defend the worlds against a primordial evil. Previously titled as "The Power of Love"
1. Chapter I

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom _and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International Inc.

* * *

Please note: This was written before the start of Season Two, so some of the information in here does not coincide with later episodes. However, it was meant to do that, and all other OOC mannerisms are done on purpose. This story is AU, after all. I will, however, correct a few of the name errors that were made. The only one that I am leaving as it was is Darryl for Valerie's father, mostly because his actual name, Damen, is far too close to Damien, one of the ghosts that appears later in the story.

* * *

**Chapter I**

His eyes snapped open, ice blue orbs piercing the darkness of his room, and he raised his hand to his head in a futile attempt to wipe away the images of the dream he'd just snapped free of.

"Why can't I stop thinking about her? Ever since the fake-out make-out, she's the only thing on my mind." Danny looked toward his window, the moonlight filtering into his room and dancing across the floor until the wind died down, the curtains drifting lazily back into place and enshrouding the room in darkness once more.

_Weird,_ Danny thought. _Did I forget to close my window when I got in?_ He stumbled out of bed to close the window, but as he pushed the curtain aside, his eyes dancing over the nearby buildings painted in soft hues of shimmering radiance, he found himself drowning once more in thoughts of one of his best friends.

_You're all that I can think about, Sam, and part of me knows why. I know that I like you. I may even be so bold to think that I'm falling in love with you, but I'm so afraid that you don't feel the same. It hurts so much to feel this way, to want to be with you, to be there for you…to need you the way I do._

He blinked as the last thought crossed his mind. "I need her?" he sighed. "I really need to get a hold of myself. She's just my friend, nothing more." Casting a final, longing glance at the nearly full moon above, he shut the window and cast the curtains over it, climbing back into bed.

_Sam's just a friend…that's all she is,_ he thought as he drifted back into the gentle arms of sleep. _I just wish that she could be something more._

- - - - -

Danny's eyes drifted open, a small shaft of sunlight peeking through his curtains. Pushing himself free of the soft mattress, he stretched a little before clambering out of bed and throwing on the clothes he'd set out the evening previous.

_I really wish these dreams would stop, _he thought somberly. _I can't stop thinking about her, but I don't know what to do. Do I tell her, and if so, what if she doesn't feel the same? What if I ruin this friendship because I can't just cast my feelings aside? I don't want to lose her, but…_

He sighed heavily, shaking his head to clear his mind, and the thoughts of his best friend were suddenly shunted aside as the sweet smell of his mother's cooking drifted upstairs. Walking out of his room, he headed for the stairs and the promise of warm breakfast.

"What, now you're going goth too?" Jazz asked sarcastically. "I thought that was Sam's thing."

"Huh?" he asked, looking to see the outfit he'd chosen was solid black save for the streaks of silver-gray stitching in his jeans. At this revelation, an image of the aforementioned female graced his mind, and he rubbed his eyes again. _If one more thing randomly gets me to thinking about her, I'm going to scream._

"You okay, little brother?"

Danny looked up into the worried eyes of his sister. "I'm fine. I just had a rough night, you know…bad dreams."

"You know, dreams that tend to bother you like this are usually a sign of…" Jazz caught the look on Danny's face, reading clearly that he didn't want to hear it, and she raised her hands in a sign of surrender. "Shutting up."

The siblings walked into the kitchen, sitting down and being greeted with a hefty stack of pancakes on each of their plates. Jazz started in on her first one almost immediately, but Danny sat there, eyes distant, prodding his food with the fork.

"Maddie, did you make sure that there weren't any ghosts possessing the food or the cookware?" Jack asked, to which both Jazz and Danny looked at him, their eyes and body language showing a great level of agitation at his incessant ghost-talk.

Maddie hung her head slightly. "Jack Fenton, for once in this life, can we please just have a normal family breakfast without all the ecto-interruptions?" Turning from the stove where another pancake was being made, she noticed her son's quietude. "What's the matter, honey? You haven't touched your food."

Danny looked up at his mother before pushing the plate towards his father and getting up from the kitchen table. "I'm not really hungry," he replied, grabbing his jacket from the hall closet and walking out the front door."

Jack shrugged and piled Danny's pancakes onto his own plate, continuing to eat his breakfast as if nothing had happened.

- - - - -

Danny soon found himself in the park, his mind having become a labyrinthine enigma he couldn't even begin to decipher. Plopping down on a nearby bench, he buried his face in his hands.

_This is just great – I can't sleep without her coming to me in dreams, I can't eat without the thought of what telling her could do ruining my appetite, and no matter where my thought line starts, it always leads back to her. I have to tell her that I…_

His train of thought came to a screeching halt as a hand rested gently on his shoulder. Turning, he felt his heart race slightly as his eyes met with Sam's deep violet ones. Moving over, he offered her a spot to sit.

"You okay? I was on my way out of the house to head over to Tucker's when I saw you pass by," Sam stated.

Danny opened his mouth to answer, but the words only lodged in his throat.

Sam leaned over, her fingertips pushing his jaw up. "Close your mouth. Flies don't taste good, and you know how I feel about animals being food."

A blush ran to Danny's cheeks as Sam's soft fingers ran along his skin as she pulled away. "It's really nothing. I've just got a lot on my mind right now that I'm trying to figure out."

Sam stretched, a low yawn escaping her lips.

"You sound tired," he commented.

Sam nodded. "I haven't really been sleeping all that well for the last few days or so. For some reason, my subconscious has decided to start torturing me."

"Bad dreams?" he asked, to which Sam nodded. "Mine haven't been all that bad, but they've been…strange, to say the least. I can't even begin to figure them out." He turned to her. "So how did you find me? You follow me or something, because until I sat down, I didn't even realize I was here."

Sam blushed. "Yeah, I kinda did. You seemed really spaced out, and you didn't even notice me when you walked by." She looked at him, his black bangs falling over his eyes, hiding their sapphire depths from her own gaze, and she couldn't deny that she wanted to turn him to face her just to be able to fall into his alluring eyes. Biting back the urge, she opted for safe ground, running her hand along his shoulders.

"Sorry," Danny murmured, looking away for a moment, the blank stare on his face showing just how deep he'd fallen into his thoughts again. _That was because you're all that's on my mind. You're all that's been there for a while now._

Something in his demeanor threw Sam off. "Danny?"

"If anyone asks if you've seen me, tell them that I just needed some time to be alone and to think." Standing, he moved quickly behind a tree.

"Danny, wait!" Sam called, but it was too late – the flash of light and the slight rush of the wind meant that he'd gone ghost and flown away. "How am I supposed to tell you how much I care about you?" she asked to the empty wind. "How can I begin to tell you that I love you?"

- - - - -

Danny flew as fast as he could, the warm updrafts pushing him through the morning sky, his lower half blurring into a black spectral trail, but no matter the speed at which he flew, he couldn't outrace the feelings pulling at his heartstrings. Finally slowing, he landed gently in the thick branches of a tree that sat on an isolated cliff near the city. His eyes danced over the buildings, seeing the town he called home. Here were his family, his friends, his classmates…and Sam, someone he couldn't really explain using such simple terms. She meant so much to him, and hiding his true feelings from her grew harder each time their eyes met.

And the guilt hit him. _I just _left _her. I left her there in the park, and I know that look she gave me. God, she knows I'm hiding something. Sam…you don't understand how badly I want to tell you this, to let you know just how much you mean to me. I'd sacrifice anything just to have the courage to be able to tell you…_

Danny leaned back, assured that he wouldn't phaze through the tree, letting his eyes drift shut slowly as he fell into a peaceful slumber, one person irrevocably on his mind.

- - - - -

Sam walked home, her eyes devoid – she knew Danny was hiding something from her. For the first time in she couldn't remember how long, though, he wasn't talking to her like he usually did, and she had the nagging feeling that she was the last person he wanted to be venting on. As her hand touched the knob to her house, a faint wind blew past, and she turned, hoping beyond reason that her eyes would meet with the glowing green of her love's Phantom half. Instead, she was greeted only by the cold concrete of the sidewalk and the dark, tarry asphalt of the street, and she turned and headed for her room, tears biting fiercely in the corners of her eyes.

_Why couldn't I tell him? Why can't I just let him know how I feel? He deserves to know, but…those eyes…I can get so lost in them. I can handle myself in any other situation, but the minute those beautiful ocean blues look at me…words feel like they mean so little._

Sam rolled over on her bed, still fighting the tears she didn't want to let flow, slowly but assuredly falling into a dreamless, dozing rest; she fell asleep so long, in fact, that only near sunset did she finally rise from her bed. The sunlight fell in long golden arcs across her floor, and a single thought flowed through her sleep-fogged mind.

_Danny, I need you…_

- - - - -

Danny's eyes snapped open and he sat up, almost positive he'd just heard Sam's voice. Finding somewhat hard to see, he let his left arm return to human form long enough to look at his watch and realize just how late it was, taking off for home. Rather than the imposing sign reading "Fenton Works" coming into view, he came instead to the house of the female he'd been trying so hard to avoid.

Phazing in through one of the walls, Danny hovered into one of the corners, drawing himself into it as far as he could in a desperate attempt to keep Sam from realizing that he was there.

The female in question was busy in her closet, searching for something to wear to bed, finally coming across an all-black, knee-length nightie. Walking out of the closet, she failed to notice the few-degree drop in temperature.

Danny thanked his lucky stars that ghosts didn't need to breathe because he was sure that it would have given him away when Sam walked back into the room. What shocked him even further, nearly startling him out of ghost form, was that Sam peeled herself out of the clothes she'd been wearing that morning, leaving her in nothing but her panties and bra. His jaw dropped, seeing what the clothes she wore hid, her chest and hips a subtle addition to her feminine good looks.

_Sam…you're beautiful. Here, I've been pining away for Valerie and Paulina, and you're…you're more attractive than both of them combined._ He mentally smacked himself for both not seeing the Sam beneath the veneer of the cynical goth she was in public, seeing her for her calm demeanor, her physical beauty – which nearly rivaled her inner beauty in so many ways – and the fact that she was just the same Sam, no matter what. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he barely caught Sam tossing on her nightie.

The goth, still unaware of the ghostly presence in her room, grabbed a cassette from a small drawer in her dresser and casually jammed it into a handheld audio recorder. Placing the clip over her ear, she positioned the microphone a short distance away from her mouth as she plopped onto her bed, tapping the 'record' button once she was comfortable.

"May twentieth, whatever year it says on the tape. Dear Diary…" she began, lapsing into silence, thinking about what to say.

Danny knew that he should leave, that he should have left moments before, as this was Sam's private time to herself, but his curiosity got the better of him.

"I have no idea what he's hiding from me, but I know it's something that's taking a lot of mental willpower to not tell me. He's normally so open. Of whom am I speaking? The hybrid who's been on my mind so often that he's taken up most of the space on these tapes lately. Ever since that kiss when I saved him from Valerie, he's been there in all my thoughts…especially with that weird zoned-out look he had at first, like he'd enjoyed it." She shook her head softly. "You'd think being a goth would have made me immune to this kind of sappy emotional overload, but hey, this is the me that no one sees."

_I see it now, Sam, _Danny thought.

"After he left me alone in the park, I started thinking about the time that Ember was here and what her spell had done to him. I liked the attention that he was giving me, though the degree to which he took it was a little short of intimidating." She sighed. "The funny thing is, that was when I learned what it was about him that first attracted me to him, and I'd love to blame Ember for having some part in it, but really, the only one at fault here is me…basically because I can't tell him how much I care. Regardless, it really threw me for a loop when I realized what drew me in. I would have thought it to be his somewhat clumsy, devil-may-care attitude or the fact that he's become something of a role model since the accident, but it's something so simple that I kept thinking I was just deluding myself.

Danny's eyebrow was quirked in question so fervently that he figured it was all but disappearing into his hairline. _What is it that has you attracted to me?_

"It's…his eyes, and the funny thing is, it doesn't matter to me which ones. As a human, his eyes come off as cold and uncaring, an icy blue so deep you'd be almost sure that his veins were pumping frozen water rather than blood. But once you get to know him, you see the real fire burning beneath that layer of cold aloofness. And when it comes to Danny _Phantom_…" She stopped momentarily, smiling. "I'm hearing myself thinking what I'm going to say, and I sound so cheesy. Ah, whatever. When it comes to Danny Phantom, he's everything that I wish I could be – strong, confident, brave – and he's handsome as hell to boot. When I first encountered his ghost half after the accident, the ways his eyes glow on their own kind of scared me, but more and more, I feel like he's pulling my soul into him, chaining me to him in some intricate, mystical way that I can't even begin to figure out." She shifted against the pillows, snuggling into their soft fluffiness. "Ah, well, I thought I had more, but I guess this is it for today. Until tomorrow, then. Signed, Samantha Manson."

_She refers to herself as Samantha? I tried that once and she had me singing the high notes for a whole day._ Danny passed through the wall and waited a few minutes before knocking on her window.

By now, Sam had curled up under the covers on her bed. The light tapping on her window forced her to open her eyes, and they met the same brilliant green ones she'd been talking about just moments before. A slight twitch of her head signaled for him to pass through. As he settled to the floor, a luminescent ring appeared around him. Sam shook her head almost imperceptibly, Danny staying in ghost form.

"How have you been, Sam?" he asked.

"Okay, aside from being abandoned earlier today," she replied.

Danny's right hand moved behind his head, an insecure smile on his lips. "Sorry."

Sam waved her hand dismissively. "What are you doing here anyway? It's kinda late," she asked, her eyes again locking with his.

"I, uh, just wanted to make sure that you're doing okay. I felt bad about leaving you like I did today. I just needed some time alone to think." _I'm so glad I stayed in ghost form. I would have lost my pants by now out of sheer embarrassment alone._

"Um, Sam?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly. As she looked up at him, he felt his legs go weak as her eyes met his. Only when Sam's eyes widened in surprise did he look down to find himself phazing through her floor.

Sam reached out quickly and took his hand, helping him get out of the floor, feeling a light blush flare up in her cheeks as she did so, the heated sensation a strange counterpoint to the chill his touch sent up her arm. "Danny, what's bothering you? You've seemed out of it all day."

"I don't quite know how to put it to words," he answered as he hovered around the room.

A rather loud yawn escaped her lips, and Sam blinked, struggling to stay awake.

"You sound tired. I'm going to head on home."

Sam smiled and rolled over as Danny pulled the covers up to her chin. Without thinking, his hand ran lightly over her cheek, and she shivered at his cold touch.

"Good night, Sam. I hope your dreams are pleasant tonight."

She smiled again, softer this time, her eyes fluttering. "Thanks, Danny."

He backed off and left the room, leaving Sam alone once more, her half-lidded eyes watching him disappear in a blur of black and white.

_My dreams are always pleasant, Danny. I just can't bring myself to tell you._


	2. Chapter II

**Disclaimer:** _Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

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**Chapter II**

Danny flew into the walkway between his house and the one adjacent to it, hiding in the shadows as he turned human. Walking up the front stairs to the door, a sense of dread filled him. His parents were likely to be furious that he'd been out all day and hadn't let them know where he was. Surprisingly enough, however, he found an empty house awaiting him as he walked in, no one waiting for him. The house was silent as he walked into the kitchen, finding a note on the table.

_**Danny,**_

_**Mom and Dad are taking me out of town until tomorrow night for a psychology fair. Sam called to let us know that you were going to be out for a while, and Mom said she figured a bit of fresh air would do you some good, so they're not mad. We'll probably be back late, so we left you 40 on the fridge.**_

_**Love you, little brother**_

_**Jazmine**_

"I'd prefer a 'Love You' letter from Sam." He balled up the paper and tossed it into the garbage can by the sink. Opening the fridge, he took out a soda and then pulled the money out from behind one of the magnets. Shutting the door, he headed for his room, drinking the soda as he went.

He finished his drink before he plopped onto his bed, crumpling the can and tossing it absentmindedly over his shoulder into the wastebasket beside his desk. As he lay down, he began to think back to Ember's incursion on the town. He'd totally denied his feelings for Paulina while under the effects of the spell, but those feelings hadn't really been anything real in the end. Her looks were all that Danny ever really noticed about her, and the more that he attached himself to Sam, the shallower Paulina seemed to get. Sure, she was attractive, but once you tried to sit down and talk about anything other than the current fashion trends, there wasn't much else. And when it came to the concert…Sam probably still felt guilty for kissing Dash, but he'd come to understand why she'd done so, and he loved her all the more for it.

The thought of Sam's mention of the look on his face after their fake-out make-out popped into his head as he curled into the pillow. The taste of her lips, he'd discovered, was a potent drug that left him paralyzed, and he knew that if he ever kissed her again, it would be then that he'd be hers without recourse, that he'd show her how much he truly loved her. When that moment came, he would willingly hand his life over to her, phantom and human alike.

Rolling over, he cuddled into his pillow, thoughts of Sam running through his mind as he drifted to sleep.

- - - - -

"Danny…Danny, wake up. Danny."

Danny's eyes fluttered open, meeting with a pair of eyes that were becoming all too familiar a sight. "Sam? What are you doing here? I locked all the doors, so how did you…?" He was silenced by her soft hand slipping over his lips.

"I came here to see you, and your window was unlocked." She dropped down onto the bed beside him. "I need to talk to you."

Danny gently kissed her palm, and she pulled her hand away as he looked into her eyes. He was faintly aware of a faded green glow reflected in her eyes and realized what he'd done – he'd gone ghost, remembering what she'd said about his luminescent green eyes the day before.

"Danny, I…I…" She took a deep, calming breath. "I love you, Danny."

He reached up, gloved hands pressing against the soft skin above her skirt, caressing her abdomen as he leaned up to her, noses touching, eyes locked. He smiled, able to feel her give herself to him, could feel their spirits intertwining. "I know, Sam. I love you, too." Closing the gap between them, their lips met in a flash of passion and desire as they fell back onto his bed. Running his hands along her arms, he smiled as Sam deepened the kiss, moving in sync with her ministrations, his hands wrapping around her waist. One of her hands plunged into his glistening white hair, forcing their lips even closer, the other hand running along his chest.

Sam pushed away suddenly, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath. Once she looked up, her eyes met with Danny's once more as he propped himself up on his elbows, the look on his face beckoning her close once more. Their lips slid together with pure passion, their spirits merging once more as a bright light began to invade on their kiss…

- - - - -

Danny's eyes flew open, the pressure of Sam's body still pressing into his chest, the feel of her baby-soft skin still on his hands, and he could swear that he could still feel her hand embedded in his hair. And his lips hurt.

Sitting up, he found that he'd actually gone ghost in his sleep, and he quickly reverted to his human form, fingers grazing his still-burning lips. Finally looking up, he saw the sunrise send a brilliant red fire dancing across his bedroom wall. "Why did I have to wake up?!" he yelled aloud to his room.

_That had to have been more than a dream._

- - - - -

A few blocks away, Sam was awake as well, relishing the taste of Danny's kiss, still strong against her lips, as a spark of anger rose up from within.

_Why is it that I don't have an issue telling him in dreams? I can tell him I love him in my sleep as easily as I breathe, but once I wake up, I stutter like an idiot?! _She raised a hand to her warm and slightly sore lips. _That couldn't have been just a dream. I've never felt his kisses like this before._

With that, she jumped out of bed and got dressed, running out of her house and toward Danny's.

- - - - -

Danny begrudgingly got out of bed, wondering who was throwing what at his window. His whole composure changed when he saw Sam on the sidewalk below, hitting the window with what remained of a handful of pebbles. Raising a finger, he signaled that he'd be down in a minute, and he moved away from his window. Transforming as he phazed downstairs, he opened the door, hiding behind it as Sam walked in. Once she had cleared the doorway, he swung the door shut.

She spun around, her eyes locking with his immediately, and she spent a moment caught up in his gaze. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she looked up again. "Danny, change back. What if your parents see you?"

"They're not home right now. It's just me…well, me and you." Danny walked up to her slowly. _Why is this so much easier as a ghost?_ "So, what did you come over for?" he asked as they headed up the stairs to his room.

"I had a really strange dream, and I needed someone I could talk to. With Tucker out of town, you're the only other person I trust." Sam dropped onto the bed, fidgeting nervously.

"Involving?" Danny asked, having the weird sensation that their dream had been shared somehow.

"It was me and…a shadow. I couldn't see his face at all, but it felt like I knew him." She blushed when she felt Danny's gaze rest on her, and somewhere inside, she knew that he realized she was lying. She shrugged the feeling, falling into a pensive silence.

"Mind to tell me more, or just want to stop?" Danny asked as he hovered onto his bed, propping himself up on his elbows, smiling internally when he saw the flash of recognition in her eyes.

"I don't remember all of the dream, but I was outside of a house. All the doors were locked, so I snuck in through an open window and woke him. There was something I tried to tell him…but I don't remember if I was able to say it before I woke up. Things get really foggy after that."

_She's lying! We shared that dream! She kissed me. Sam, why aren't you confiding in me?_ Danny's thoughts began to race as the realization kicked in. _Does she realize that I love her? Does she…_ His thoughts were cut short as he noticed her hand move up to her lips, and the words were out of his mouth before he could think. "Did he kiss you?"

Sam looked up, about to ask how he knew, and then noticed where her hand was. Pulling it away, she nodded. "I've never felt like this before. It's so strange, especially because I could still feel his kiss after I woke up."

Danny was fighting the urge to kiss her right then and there. _She knows that it was me. _I_ know it. She called my name. Sam, don't lie to me. Now I know just how much you love me._ Leaning over, he pulled her into his arms, holding her gently.

She tensed up for a moment before relaxing into his grip. "I think I know who the shadow was supposed to represent, but I'm not totally sure, and I don't want to make a fool of myself by asking him if he cares about me." Sam turned, curling an arm around Danny's neck as she snuggled in to him for comfort. "I'm just so confused by all of this. What if it was just a stupid dream and he doesn't care about me the same way?"

"I thought other people's opinions about you didn't matter that much. Why the sudden change?"

Sam shrugged. "Maybe it's because of how I feel about him. Maybe because I don't want to be alone anymore."

Danny's heart sunk. "You're not alone. You've got me…" he said as Sam turned a quizzical eye to him, "…and Tucker," he quickly finished.

"That's not the kind of alone I'm talking about, Danny."

Her eyes met with his again, and he could see how much she was fighting with herself, but as much as he wanted to confess his feelings right then, he couldn't bring himself to do so. He wanted to tell her how he felt about her, about the fact that they had shared the dream, that he loved her in return, but he wanted her to open up to him first.

"I have a hole in my heart," she continued, "one that I can't seem to fill. I need someone to hold me and be with me…no matter what."

Danny held her even tighter. "Don't I count?"

"Danny, you're my best friend. It doesn't work that way, and even if it did…" her eyes flickered over to Danny's desk, seeing the glowing numbers of the clock showing her the time. "It's that late already? Danny, I'm sorry, but I have to go."

Danny walked her to the door and waved slowly as she left, and he bit his lip against the gnawing feeling that Sam would never come to him with the truth.

_Now what am I supposed to do?_ he asked himself before an idea flitted through his mind, a sly smile creeping its way across his face before phazing through the walls and heading for downtown.

- - - - -

_Why did it seem like he knew about the dream? He was acting like he knew, but there's no way that he could have…but if he did, does he know that I'm in love with him?_ Sam looked up towards the sky, its midday hue a perfect match to Danny's human eyes. _Was that dream more than what I'm taking it for? Does he really love me back?_

Walking up the steps to her house, she looked to the sky once more, the childish hope burning in her that she'd turn around to find Danny flying to her, ready to profess his love. The empty blue sky gave no answer, nor was Danny there before she turned and went inside. _This deserves a diary entry all to itself_, she thought as she bounded up the stairs and shot into her room.

- - - - -

There was no other way to put it – he was flat broke. All of the money that he had been given for food had been spent on Sam, but as he leaned against his bedroom door, he let out a contented sigh, knowing that he didn't care. Sam was going to love what he had in store for her, and at that thought, he dropped himself down in front of his computer, getting to work on the next part of his surprise.

- - - - -

"Danny, get out of bed! You're going to be late for school again!" Jazz called up to her brother's room once more. She was about to head upstairs when her mother called her name from the basement.

"Jazz, sweetie, Danny left about a half an hour ago. He said he needed to get something done today."

Jazz stopped short at her mother's comment. _Danny _never_ gets up early. I'm going to have to talk with him after school._


	3. Chapter III

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom _and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter III**

Danny's heart was thudding in his chest as he, Sam and Tucker walked into the school. He'd left the house rather early, having needed to pick up the first part of Sam's gift. About an hour before school started, he'd phazed into the hallway, remaining invisible so that no one would see him or what he was doing. Phazing her gift into her locker, he'd sped back home long enough to grab his things and be on the front stoop when Sam and Tucker walked by.

He popped open his locker, tossing in all the books save for the two he needed for the first two classes of the day, fumbling through the bag for the homework Lancer had assigned them. He stopped, a small smirk appearing on his face only long enough for him to realize he was smiling and stop, turning to see Sam pull a pair of blood-red roses out of her locker.

As she pulled them out, a cream-colored envelope fluttered to the floor, which Tucker grabbed. Snatching it away, she looked at the gold embossed letters that spelled out her name for a moment before flipping it over and pulling out the small card inside. "These roses are crimson, my love," she read, eyebrow arching upward in confusion.

There was little time to figure out what the message meant as the warning bell rang.

- - - - -

Tucker met up with Danny and Sam later on during lunch. Sam was still carrying the roses around, the bottoms of the stems wrapped in a damp paper towel secured with a rubber band. She'd been pestering Danny to know if he had any idea where the flowers had come from, but he'd offered little in the way of help. Apologizing again because he had no clue who had left the flowers, Tucker noticed a strange gleam in Danny's eyes, but as he opened his mouth to say something, Danny tossed him a sidelong glance that shut him up just as quickly.

About halfway through lunch, Sam got up and headed towards the classrooms, throwing her lunch away as she walked, roses held tightly in her hands.

Tucker looked at Danny accusingly. "This has you written all over it. Spill," he ordered.

Danny toyed with his food for a minute before looking up. "So what if it does? I plan on surprising her Friday afternoon, which means you need to keep your mouth _shut_ about knowing that it's me."

"So you're the one that wrote the note?"

"Yeah. I finally built up the courage to come out about it and tell her. I just…I want to see what she does."

Tucker sat there, stunned into silence. In all the years he'd seen the developing feelings between his two best friends, he never would have guessed that Danny would have been the one to cross the proverbial bridge first. "So what was I so unfortunate to miss that made you finally decide to come clean with her?"

"You know how we occasionally have that 'sync' moment where we seem to be able to read each other's thoughts?" Tucker nodded. "Well, somehow, that made us have the same dream, and I think she's fighting that fact, especially considering that we confessed our feelings then."

"So if you confessed it in that dream world, that means you're not backing out in the real world? You're actually going to tell her?"

Danny's response was a coy smirk as he bit into his sandwich.

- - - - -

Jazz caught up to her brother as he walked into his room, catching the door before he was able to close it. "What's going on with you, Danny?"

He shot a puzzled look at his sister before dropping his backpack on the floor. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been locking yourself in your room for the past few days, you ran off Saturday, you're skipping out on meals, and you're leaving the house well before you need to." She shook her head. "The only thing that's normal about you now is that you're still trying to ignore me."

Danny smirked as he leaned against the doorframe. "I've just got a few things on my mind that I'd rather handle on my own. So, think of it as me sending your calls to voicemail until I can figure out how to talk to you about this." With that, he shut the door in her face.

- - - - -

The following three days had been the same – Sam came to school to find a pair of red roses waiting for her with the same unsigned card sitting next to them. However, the surprise had been different. Friday morning was greeted with three roses rather than just two.

Sam picked her head up off of the lunch table as Danny took his seat across from her, and her eyes fell on the four cards she'd previously received. "I don't get it, Danny. I haven't been able to figure out who's sending these to me, and the notes don't make any sort of sense?"

Danny silently counted off the cards. "You didn't get one today?"

Sam blinked before reaching into her bag and pulling out the fifth card, still unopened in its envelope.

Pointing to the pile of white papers, Danny shrugged. "Why not read them in the order you got them? It makes sense enough, doesn't it?"

Sam rearranged the cards before reading them aloud. "These roses are crimson, my love. The petals are the color of the lifeblood rushing through my veins. As my heart races when I am near you, I hope yours rushes at the sight of my gift. These are a meager offering, as my true gift is one of greater beauty." She opened the last envelope gently, setting the envelope into her bag before opening the final card. "I love you, Samantha Manson, and I want to know if you feel the same for me. Much love…" Sam's voice began to drift.

"Go on," Danny encouraged.

Sam sighed heavily. "He didn't sign it, but at least I'm sure it's not you or Tuck."

"How's that?" Danny asked.

Sam showed him the newest card, her index finger under her first name. "Need I remind you what happened _last time_ you called me that?"

Danny's eyes shot wide and he shook his head violently in response.

"Thought so."

- - - - -

"Tuck, wait up, man!" Danny called, running to catch up with his friend. "Where are you rushing off to? You've been avoiding me and Sam all day."

The boy's shoulders fell. "I'm not gonna be here this weekend. I got a call from Mom right before lunch that she's going out to visit her folks and I have to come along. Looks like I'm missing all the fun."

"Man, that bites," Danny replied. "You take care of yourself out there. I don't need to find out you died by over-pinching of the cheeks by lethal aunts or something."

Tucker smiled, clapping Danny on the shoulder. "I'll be okay. Best of luck with Sam, seeing as you called her _Samantha_ on that card." There was the barest hint of a shudder in the techno-geek's body.

Danny couldn't help but laugh, and waved good-bye to Tucker before turning back to the school doors just in time to see Sam bound down the steps, roses still held tightly in her hands. As she walked up to him, Danny tossed his arm casually over her shoulder, hugging her gently. "You okay?"

She nodded, shrugging her shoulders, motioning for Danny to let her go.

As he pulled his arm away, he slid his hand into intangibility, pulling a single card from her pocket and sliding it into his own back pocket.

As Sam disappeared into her house, Danny continued on towards home, and once he'd walked into his room, he pulled the card out of his pocket and smiled. He couldn't wait until nightfall.


	4. Chapter IV

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter IV**

"Where is it?" Sam muttered to herself as she turned out her skirt pockets, four of the notes placed back into their envelopes and piled neatly on her dresser. The fifth envelope was still open on the nightstand next to the vase that was holding her flowers. Finally growing frustrated with the fruitless search, Sam tucked her pockets back in and leaned over the roses, taking a deep breath, letting her senses be overrun by the soothing scent before dropping down onto her bed.

A cold breeze blew in through her open window, and she got up only long enough to close the window and flop down on the mattress once more. The cold air, however, remained, permeating the room, the petals of the roses drifting lazily in what should have been non-existent drift of air.

"These roses are crimson, my love," spoke an unfamiliar voice from the far side of the room.

Sam looked around the room, slightly frightened.

The voice spoke again, and she realized that whatever this entity was, it was getting closer to her bed. "The petals are the color of the lifeblood rushing through my veins." Closer still, the voice began to soften as the speaker piped up, "As my heart races when I am near you, I hope yours rushes at the sight of my gift."

Sam pulled her knees up to her chin, reaching for the ecto-pistol she normally kept stored under her pillows.

"These are a meager offering, as my true gift is one of greater beauty," the voice continued, and Sam smiled as she finally recognized the voice, relaxing even with the fact that her ecto-pistol was no longer where she normally kept it.

A piece of paper fluttered down, landing at her feet, and Sam's breath caught in her throat as she opened the card. She looked to the bottom and just below the 'Much love', the name Daniel Fenton was signed in deep red ink. Beneath that, the name Danny Phantom was signed in glittering green ink. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes as Danny materialized in front of her. Hovering to her desk, he pulled a hand from behind his back, the twelfth rose appearing in the vase as he pulled his hand away.

"It was you all along?" Sam asked.

Danny landed next to her bed, two rings of blue-white light passing over .netdy, and once he was human, he sat down on the bed next to her, taking her hands in his. He nodded lightly, smiling.

Sam kicked Danny, her boot coming in contact with his thigh.

Danny winced. "What was that for?"

"What have I told you about calling me Samantha?"

"Why can't I do what you can?"he asked, and Sam raised an eyebrow. Taking a deep breath, he locked eyes with her. "I was…here Saturday. I heard your diary entry."

Without a word, Sam tackled him, the two landing on the floor with a dull thud. Sam sat down on Danny's chest, pinning his hands down above his head. "Explain," she said, her voice menacing.

"Sam, believe me, I wanted to leave. I knew that you needed your privacy. I tried so hard to just phaze out of here, but something held me back. Later that night, I found out what it was."

Sam got up, climbing into bed, leaning against her pillows.

Danny got up slowly, taking a few deep breaths to allay his light-headedness. "You lied to me about your dream, Sam. It wasn't a shadow that you dreamt of. It was a phantom that you know all too well. The one that you confessed your love to in dreams was me."

Sam's eyes widened. "How do you…?"

"Know?" Danny finished. "I'm not sure. Maybe it's that weird psychic connection everyone wants to think we have. Anyway, getting back to your diary entry…it was my feelings for you that kept me here."

"So you really are…?" Sam's eyes were going wide in shock.

Danny smiled and slid closer to her. "We wouldn't have shared what we did in that dream if I didn't love you. There's just one thing that I still need to ask, though."

"What?"

Danny leaned over, caressing the edge of Sam's ear with his lips. "Is it me or my ghost half that you love?" he whispered.

There was no hesitation as she answered. "It's both of you. You're one in the same. There are just different reasons that I fell in love with either form."

"And you're not mad at me for listening to your diary entry?"

Sam shook her head. "How can I stay mad at the person I love?"

Danny pressed his forehead against hers and smiled. "I love you, Samantha Manson."

Sam's arms snaked around his neck. "I love you, too, Daniel Fenton." The butterflies began to fly around in her stomach as his arms found their way to her back, the two falling back onto her bed. Reaching a hand up, her fingers dove into the tangled mess of his raven hair, and she pulled him closer to her, their lips almost touching. She smiled softly as his eyes drifted shut, hers doing the same as they closed the last of the distance between them.

Their kiss now far surpassed the one they'd shared in the dream. Every want, need and desire was released in a deluge of emotion as the long-restrained passion between them was finally set free. Danny shuddered as Sam's hand coursed over the back of his neck, chills running up and down his spine, and the hand embedded in his hair pulled his lips even closer to hers.

Sam's heart was beating wildly and she had a hard time remembering to breathe. His touch was sending her reeling, his warm hands caressing her back, fingertips running over her spine. His taste was intoxicating, something that she wanted only more of.

Lost within the burning fire of their love, time began unknown as they fell deeper into the kiss, and for them, only they existed as the world fell away around them.

Danny started slightly when he felt Sam's tongue run across his lips, silently asking his permission. Unable to pull away, her arms keeping him locked where he was, he shook his head, trying to convey to her that they couldn't go that far with their first kiss.

Sam licked his lips again, growing frustrated with him as he refused to deepen the kiss, and the thought crossed her mind how to get what she wanted. Pulling her hand out of his obsidian locks, she ran her fingertips over the edge of his ear, rubbing softly, and was pleased with the satisfied moan that rumbled up through Danny's throat. Continuing her motions, she suddenly pinched the top of his ear between her fingers, driving her nails into the sensitive flesh.

Danny opened his mouth to scream at the pain, realizing her plan seconds too late as Sam's tongue slipped into his mouth, and her sweet taste drugged him even further.

Sam felt every part of her body tearing into complete overdrive, and she couldn't believe what he was doing to her. She'd known him for as long as she could remember, but these feelings where completely new to her. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before, but every move, every shiver down her spine, every touch that sent her mind reeling in a hundred different directions, felt completely natural.

His body tensed up, knowing that he had to stop the kiss soon, and his hands slid down to her hips. Regretfully, he pulled his lips from hers, looking down into her loving lilac eyes as he opened his own, smiling softly.

Sam returned with a smile of her own as she wiped a thumb across Danny's lips, her digit coming away with a thin veneer of purple.

Danny blushed in embarrassment as Sam grabbed a few tissues from the table next to her bed, wiping his lips clean of the violet stain that marred them. As she pulled back, Danny grabbed her hand and took the tissue, mimicking her motions, wiping away what lipstick remained on her lips. "You know, I was starting to wonder if they were just naturally purple," he said, the corners of his mouth turning upward as the layer of violet cosmetics gave way to the bright claret underneath, her naturally pale lips brightened by the force of their kiss.

Sam slugged him in the shoulder playfully, Danny responding by rubbing the offended joint, landing a quick kiss on her lips in retribution.

He gazed at her longingly as his hand ran up over her cheek, slowly lowering himself onto her bed, and she followed suit, leaning over him.

Leaning into his touch, her hand came to rest over his. "That was…amazing, Danny. I never thought that I could feel this way about anyone, even you. I never would have imagined us being together…like this." Lowering herself down, she wrapped an arm around him, relaxing into his grip as he let his hands wander over her body, coming to rest just above the hem of her skirt.

"So, have I really been _the_ topic of discussion with your diary tapes recently?"

Sam nodded as she hugged him, suddenly releasing him and heading over to her dresser.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked as Sam grabbed a pair of headphones off of the dresser.

Plugging the headset into her tape recorder, she smacked the rewind button before looking at him. "I just want you to hear this," she said, placing the headphones over his ears, hitting the 'Play' button as the tape stopped rewinding.

Danny lay back as the tape began, taking one of Sam's hands in his.

"May twenty-first, of whatever year the tape says. Anyway, I had another dream last night. I was finally able to tell Danny how much I cared about him, and we shared one…amazing kiss. I'm sitting here, recording this entry right around sunset, and my lips are still burning.

"I want to tell him so badly. I even went so far as to go over to his house and tell him, but small wonder there, I couldn't. Which is part of what is confusing me, because I think he was flirting with me, but I'm probably just imagining things. My imagination seems to be running away because of the dreams…or my silent hopes.

"I tried so hard to tell him, but in the end, I lied, and part of me thinks that he knew I wasn't telling him the whole story. There was just something in the way that he was acting, and I want to believe that we shared that dream somehow."

Danny heard a deep sigh reverberate through the headphones and smiled, running his fingers through Sam's hair.

"He held me so tenderly, so…lovingly, that part of me wants to believe that he loves me, but I know that no matter how hard I try, there are two things that are keeping us apart that I can't change. The first is the fact that our friendship isn't something I'm willing to screw up because of how I feel, and the second is…" The tape went silent for a moment before Sam's voice returned, far softer than it had been seconds earlier. "The second thing is the fact that I kissed Dash. I know that it was during the Ember fiasco and that I only did it to break the spell, but I know that I hurt him and that he'll hate me forever for that…"

Danny clicked the 'Stop' button and pulled of the headphones, pinning Sam to the bed as he claimed her lips with his, his hands wandering over her sides.

Sam's eyes flew open as Danny pressed her head further into the pillows, intensifying the kiss, and she felt her heart melt at his show of unrestrained ardor.

He could sense how badly she wanted his kiss, slowly pushing himself away nonetheless, pushing her away when she tried to pull him in for another kiss. "Sam, I don't hate you. I could never hate you, especially not because of what happened with Dash. To be honest, I love you even more _because_ you did that."

"Danny, I…" Sam began, cut off with a quick kiss.

"Can you imagine what I'd be like if you hadn't broken that spell? And what about Ember? She would have become too powerful for me to fight back then. Some things can seem wrong when they happen, but in the end, if they were done for the right reasons," he said with a smile, "people sometimes realize that it _had_ to happen."

Sam pulled him into a tight hug, shivering slightly as he slipped into ghost form, pulling away to find his glowing green eyes returning her gaze. The sight, however, brought a question to mind. "What's been going on lately? I haven't seen nor heard a ghost for nearly a week now. Even the Box Ghost hasn't shown his face."

"Fear me, for I am the Box Ghost!" Danny cried out, mimicking the moron ghost that they'd run into on several occasions. "I am the master of things cardboard and square! Curse you and your round, cylindrical trap!"

Sam fought hard to suppress her laughter, but Danny's hand crept to her side and he began tickling her. Her rich, feminine laughter filled the room, stopping only when Danny finally decided to leave her be before she passed out.

"To be honest with you, I don't have a clue what's going on with the ghosts. I know that Dad finally gave up on the Portal and shut it down, so I only reactivate it when a rogue ghost pops up, not that it happens much anymore." He hovered over her momentarily before landing, standing, on the floor. "I don't really mind, though, since it gives me more time to be with you." Picking up the tape recorder, he dropped it on the nightstand despite not having finished listening to it.

"You're not going to finish listening to it?" Sam asked.

"Listening to you on Saturday was one thing. I don't want to take that from you. The audio diary is something personal to you, and I don't want to listen to any more than I have. Besides, it won't help my ego any hearing you talk about us like that, hearing you say that you don't think we'd work out," he smiled, "considering I think we'll work out just fine."

Sam smiled. "Danny…I…I…" She found herself at a loss for words, her emotions overwhelming her. She pushed herself up from the bed, pressing herself against Danny as she pulled his cold lips against hers, soon finding herself drowning in the kiss. The more that he was with her, the more she felt like she needed him, and she realized that, right then, her life depended on his love, his presence…him being with her. All of her life just melted into him. All the pain, hate, longing and negativity of her youth dissipated, and her old wounds, the unhealed black gashes on her soul, were healed by the pure, radiant light that he released. She pulled away, seeing her feelings perfectly reflected in his eyes.

"What do you say to a day at the park tomorrow? Just you and me," Danny asked as he hovered and went invisible, trying hard to pull himself away from the dancing lavender orbs that kept him locked in that room.

"I'd love to."

Sam's blanket moved over her, and she felt Danny's gentle hands tuck the blanket under her. A cold kiss pressed against her cheek, and she rolled over as Danny left her to her dreams.


	5. Chapter V

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter V**

A light tapping against her door woke Sam from another dream. She was flying with Danny, about to share an aerial kiss, when the auditory invasion snapped her awake so fast she fell out of bed.

"Can I come in?" Danny's voice wafted through the door as she got to her feet.

"Come on in," she answered, looking up as Danny phazed through the door and tackled her. She was able to roll over and trap him under her long enough to see a sly smile creep over his face before he phazed through the floor.

Sam stood up, looking around her room, sure that once he returned, he'd remain invisible. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the feeling of the air around her, waiting for it to grow cold. She jumped as a pair of unseen arms wrapped around her waist, and Danny materialized behind her. She mentally chided herself for thinking that he'd affect the temperature while in human form.

"That is so completely unfair," she said over her shoulder.

"Aren't you the same person who told me that I should appreciate my powers because they make me unique?" he replied, resting his head near her neck.

Sam's hands slid over Danny's, their fingers intertwining as she leaned back into his grip, reveling in the feelings that his touch brought to life. She wasn't weak-kneed in the least, but the butterflies tearing around in her stomach made her a little queasy.

"You ready to go?" he asked as he released her.

She stepped away from him. "Give me a minute. I want to see what I have that will make your jaw drop."

"Just seeing you at all does that to me."

She giggled and shook her head as she walked into her bathroom, and Danny could tell by the sound of metal sliding across metal that Sam was busy rummaging through the closet in there. About ten minutes later, he heard the interior door close.

"Close your eyes," she called.

Danny did so, trying to figure out what she'd be wearing, trembling as he felt her fingers caress his cheek.

"You can open your eyes now."

Danny's eyes drifted open slowly, widening at the woman standing before him. He tried desperately to keep his mouth closed, waiting until he was actually able to talk again before even _attempting_ to speak. _She is hot!_ he thought as his eyes wandered over her figure, drinking in every last inch of the sight no amount of imagination could have prepared him for. He'd become intrinsically accustomed to the tee, skirt and boots combination she normally wore, but she stood there now, arms crossed just below the tube top that hugged her body tightly, accenting her chest in a subtle, sensual way he absolutely loved, her lower body embraced in black hip-hugging jeans with metallic amethyst stitching. Returning his gaze to her face, he found her hair pulled into a low ponytail, a few strands framing the sides of her face.

"Can't let go of those boots, can you?" he asked her, his hands freely exploring her bare back as he stepped up to her and took her into his arms.

She shook her head. "If I need to kick you or Tucker, I need to be able to do so effectively."

"You wouldn't dare hit me, even if you actually could," he taunted as he spun her around, his chest now pressed into her back, his hands gently rubbing her exposed stomach. Leaning down, he pressed his lips close to her ear. "Hey, Sam?"

"Hmm?" she asked, craning her head back to rest on his shoulder, leaving her neck open for the touch of his lips.

He placed a few soft pecks along the sensitive skin, pleased at the little breathy sighs that escaped her as he did so, before turning her head slightly so that he could look at her eyes. Planting a soft kiss on her lips, he smiled. "You ready to go now?"

She smiled as she unlocked herself from his grasp, waiting for him to change into Danny Phantom, and was surprised when he instead took her hand and headed for the door.

"Danny, what are you doing?"

"I can't go ghost right now. Your grandmother would wonder how and when we left."

Sam wrapped an arm around Danny, and he did the same as they headed downstairs to leave, waving to Sam's grandmother as they walked past the main living room. When they reached the door, Danny pulled a light blue jacket off of the coat rack and put it on. He wasn't sure what Sam was going to wear, so he let her by, helping her into a violet spring jacket before they walked out the front door.

A few houses down, Danny pulled them into the shaded space between two of the buildings. He turned Sam around and quickly tied a black handkerchief over her eyes. "I'm taking you somewhere special, but I don't want you to see where until we're there."

His cold touch told Sam he'd already transformed, one hand slipping over her back, the other behind her knees. She felt herself leave the ground, and she wrapped around Danny's neck as the wind began to whip around them.

- - - - -

Sam was unsure of how long they'd been airborne, but she relaxed as she felt the wind begin to slow down around them before stopping. She heard the soft rustle of grass under his feet as he started walking.

Danny knelt down and placed Sam on the warm grass, looking over the area where he'd landed. For so long, this cliff had been his escape, totally isolated from the rest of the surrounding area and only assessable by flight (or a very long drop). Especially since his dream, he had wanted to bring Sam here. Helping her to her feet, he fingered the knot in the blindfold. "I hope you like the view," he said as he pulled the cloth away.

Sam gasped. The city lay below them, every building in Amity Park glowing with the light of the morning sun. She turned to him with a smile before lowering herself back onto the ground, grasping his hand with hers, pulling him down next to her.

"Promise not to phaze through the ground?" she asked with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Sure. Why?"

Sam leaned over quickly, moving on top of him, pressing their bodies close together as she leaned him backwards into the grass. Grabbing his wrists, she pinned his arms down above his head. "This is why." She leaned down, locking lips with him, feeling him reciprocate her unrestrained passion, letting go of all the emotions held in once more. They lay there, lost in their love for a long while, time yet again a forgotten concept.

After some time, they separated, and weakened by the sheer power of the kiss, Sam lowered herself gently against Danny, her hair rustling up against his nose.

He inhaled deeply, taking in the delicate scent of roses that lingered on her hair, feeling a strong flutter deep in the pit of his stomach. Nowhere near uncomfortable, a thought flickered through Danny's mind. "Sam, this is…uh…a bit of a…um…provocative position." To add weight his statement, he pulled his legs up, rubbing softly against the inside of Sam's legs, wrenching a slight murmur from her lips.

She looked at him through night-black bangs, smiling. "I don't mind. I trust you."

"Still, Ember put it best – nothing distracts teenagers like hormones," Danny countered.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "You saying I shouldn't trust you?"

"Of course not. It's just that…" he drifted off.

"What?"

With that, Danny let himself phaze through Sam, moving slowly enough that she wouldn't hit the ground due to his sudden displacement, but fast enough to avoid overshadowing her. "I don't want to get into something that I'll regret later, and…my body isn't agreeing with my mind on this one. I trust you more than anyone else in this world, but even I have lines that I can't risk crossing, lines that start to blur with me being so close to you." Holding out a hand, he helped Sam to her feet, holding her tightly. "It's like I told Tuck when he was dating Valerie. There are some things, my powers not included, that I can't control."

Sam nodded in understanding, snuggling into Danny's embrace. "So, how come here? Something special about this place?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I've been dealing with the whole 'I'm attracted to you' thing for a while now, and one night, I was out flying, trying to get the thoughts of you out of my head. That's when I found this place, and ever since then, I've been coming here to get away." He looked up, facing the cliff wall a short distance behind them. "It would take a lot of rope to get to this ledge, and that's going either up or down, so my ghost powers make this kind of…a getaway…and I was hoping that we could, you know, make this _our_ spot. The one place we could be alone and away from everything else."

Sam snuggled closer to Danny, shivering slightly as she slid her arms around his neck. Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, she smiled before letting go, a cool breeze lifting around her as she walked just a bit closer to the edge of the ledge.

"You alright, Sam?"

She nodded. "Just wondering why you haven't turned human yet is all."

Danny hovered in front of her, locking her eyes with his own. "Because now, you're mine."

Sam pushed him away, a smirk crossing her features. "You're a goof."

"No, I'm not. I'm a genius. I remembered what you said about my phantom eyes being superbly suited for capturing your attention and keeping it."

"That's not what I said, and you know that I love your blue eyes just as much."

Danny sighed in defeat, hovering a few feet back. Closing his eyes, the familiar luminescent rings snapped into place around his waist, but when they failed to move from there, Danny's eyes snapped open just as the first of the sparks fired off from the ring. Expanding and turning vertical, the ring split into three, each one just a little bigger than the last, Danny caught inside them.

A look of terror crossed Sam's features as the first ring began to spin, barely missing Danny's head with each rotation. Once the innermost ring had developed a decent spin, the second began, this time rotating around him, and the third ring started moving almost immediately afterwards, spinning whichever way that seemed to suit it at the time.

A bright blue-white light erupted just below Danny's chest, and as it did, he began to scream, his voice rising higher as the light began to expand outward. As his screams grew louder, the ball of electric light continued to grow, doing so until Danny was completely immersed within it.

Sam yelped as she jumped back to avoid a bolt of energy that shot out as the growing light engulfed the outermost ring. Dodging behind the tree, she pushed herself against the rough bark, fighting back the urge to cry. She had almost succeeded in this, but as Danny's voice was suddenly silenced, she felt the first tear slide down her face, a searing pain ripping through her heart. Daring to look, she found the rings slowing, the light only slightly smaller now, each ring vanishing as the orb of light grew smaller and smaller. As Danny's body came back into view, Sam still had to shield her eyes, as every part of him, save his face, was blindingly white in the midday sun. Only as his body dropped slowly to the ground did the brightness begin to dim, and it vanished almost completely with the first rise of his chest.

Running over to him, Sam fell to her knees beside his limp body, watching fearfully as a few sparks jolted over his body. Something was different, that much she knew, but what it was she couldn't tell for certain. The steady rise and fall of his chest assured her that he was still alive, but as her eyes scanned further upwards, she noticed one thing that was definitely different – his eyebrows, normally retaining their ebony color in ghost form, were now the same colorless hue as the rest of his hair.

Reaching out, she took one of his hands in hers, the tears silently trailing down her face as she watched him, hoping beyond hope that he was okay. In the back of her mind, however, was the lingering thought that something had been irrevocably changed with the half-ghost.

Coming out of unconsciousness, Danny's first sensation was that of an almost oppressive calm, followed closely by the feeling of Sam's soft hand in his own. Tightening his grip, he pulled himself closer to her, collapsing into her arms.

Sam furiously wiped away the tears before hugging Danny tightly, feeling a warm sensation run over her as the last of the electricity buried itself under Danny's closed eyelids, his jumpsuit once more its nighttime shade of obsidian and moonlight. "I'm sorry," she whispered softly, "I shouldn't have forced you to change. I shouldn't have made you get hurt."

"It's not your fault, Sam. How could you have known?"

Sam looked down, hearing something in the otherworldly echo of her boyfriend's voice. "What's wrong?" she asked, maneuvering into a cross-legged position and pulling Danny into her lap, cradling him much like she would have a baby. "Danny, open your eyes."

"The rings and the light are gone?"

And there it was again, that weird lilt in his speech – the great Danny Phantom himself was _scared_, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

"They're gone, Danny. They're gone," she comforted, running her fingers over his head in an almost mother-like gesture of protection and comfort. "Please, just open your eyes."

Danny complied, his eyelids slowly rising, but as he opened his eyes fully, meeting them with Sam's once more, she could only gasp in shock. "What's wrong?" Danny asked, suddenly worried.

Sam shook her head, one hand absently having flown to her mouth, that particular orifice open wide in shock.

"Sam?"

Finding her voice, Sam answered his worried glance in a nearly silent whisper. "I don't know what that light did to you, Danny, but your eyes are different."

"Different?" he said, blinking. "How?"

"They're dark green now," she replied.


	6. Chapter VI

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter VI**

The next hour spent was used to test Danny's varied powers, seeing what, if anything, had been changed by the freak incident that had taken place. He was flying just fine, his ectoplasmic shields and blasts showed no signs of having been messed with, and all of his passive abilities were working just as well.

"Seems like I'm okay," Danny said, casting a puzzled look towards Sam as she shook her head. "What am I missing?"

"Overshadowing," she answered plainly, opening her arms in a gesture signaling him to test the power on her.

"Sam, I can't do that. You're a girl and I'm a…not girl." He shook his head. "We can wait on that."

"Oh, but _Paulina_ gets the right to be overshadowed, yet your girlfriend, who is willing to let you do so to make sure that you're okay, is denied that same ability," Sam snapped back, mockingly.

Shrugging, Danny lowered his head. "Fine, fine." Stepping towards her, he slipped into intangibility, allowing himself to be absorbed by her as soon as his ethereal fingers made contact with her skin. Taking a moment to assure himself that he was actually overshadowing her, Danny broke into an impromptu little 'happy dance'.

_Danny, you are so immature,_ Sam's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Yeah, but at least we know that I'm okay," he answered, weirded out by the sound of Sam's voice coming out of their mouth rather than his own. Phazing back out, he looked at Sam, an eyebrow cocked in question. "That was a first."

"What was?" Sam asked, shaking her head to clear it.

"You were able to talk to me during the overshadow, as if you were aware of my presence as well as your own. That and the fact that I spoke in your voice. Normally, if I overshadow someone, it's _my_ voice that others hear."

Sam looked away for a moment, falling into thought. _Ghost form looks different, eyes have changed color, and there's the voice manipulation during overshadow_. She looked to Danny, a thought crossing her mind.

"Maybe your powers haven't changed. Maybe they just got stronger."

Danny looked to the ground. "Could be. Heck for all I know, maybe I got new powers on top of all the ones I have."

_Wouldn't that be fun?_ Sam thought.

"Interesting, yes. Good, definitely. Fun…eh, that's a maybe."

Sam's jaw dropped.

"What?"

"Danny, I didn't say anything."

"Yes, you…"

_I thought it._

Now was Danny's turn to look utterly astonished. He stared at Sam, his mind failing to fully wrap itself around the idea that he was now a telepath. "Sam, think something again."

The question was firing through her mind before she could process it, and Danny smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You're actually serious, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sam said as she cuddled into his cool body.

"That, Samantha, is absolutely none of your business. Besides, you were."

Rubbing her nose against his, she smiled. "Can't blame a girl for wanting to know."

Danny smirked. "You do know that curiosity killed the cat."

"Yeah," she retorted, "but satisfaction brought it back."

"Fine," Danny answered, rolling his eyes. "Initially, it was Paulina, but after the dance, I wanted it to be you. And you _were_ the one to give me my first kiss. Happy?"

Sam nodded in affirmation, brushing her lips lightly against his. _Can you project your thoughts to me?_

Danny shrugged. "Dunno."

_Try._

_If you can hear me, lemme know._

Danny smiled as Sam lunged further into his arms, one hand caressing his shoulder, the other diving into his hair. Their lips met against, the passion overridden by pure love. Danny's hands roamed over her back, her petite body shivering against him, and he knew that it was only partially his fault. Even being late in May, there was a chill wind blowing, and though Danny didn't want to break the kiss, he knew that Sam was going to need her jacket. Feeling something bump against his hand, he jumped back, inadvertently breaking the kiss anyway.

"Danny, what's wrong?" Sam asked, looking down where her jacket was crumpled at her feet. "How did my jacket get here?" Bending down to pick it up, Danny's hand on her shoulder stopped her short.

"Check this," he said, reaching out a hand, letting it linger on the air. His eyes became focused, and Sam watched in awe as her jacket floated in mid-air, maneuvering herself into it as Danny kept it suspended for her.

_Telepathic, telekinetic…What else are you becoming, ghost boy?_

"Hotter?" he asked. "But I intend to enjoy the telekinesis."

"What are…Whoa!" Sam felt herself lifted up by an invisible force, Danny's hands tensing up as he guided her to float above him.

Hovering up to her, he was careful not to break his mental hold on her. "Having fun yet?" he asked, caressing her cheek as he brushed a stray hair out of her eyes.

_Danny, being on the receiving end of your powers isn't something I find fun._

_Oh…sorry._

_Don't worry about it. I kind of did volunteer for you to test all this out on me._

"Sam…" Danny's voice dropped low, knowing that he'd offended her, and he slowly lowered her, letting go of his mental hold on her. Stepping away from her, he closed his eyes and bowed his head, the band of light snapping in place around his waist. He heard her gasp, knowing full well that she was afraid of anything more happening to him, but in a matter of seconds, the ring had split and run along his body, leaving him in his human form. He smiled at her, sky blue eyes locking with hers. "Feels good to be human again," he said softly.

Sam smiled, her eyes wandering to the horizon. "Danny, there's only a little time left before sunset. Can we stay here for that?"

Nodding, Danny walked over to her, hugging her tightly. "Fine by me," he whispered as he sat on the ground, pulling her into his lap, his fingers running through her hair as she leaned into his chest. He kissed her hair softly, eyes turned to the horizon, and he began talking, his voice faint, but calm. "I wonder if it was our relationship changing that triggered whatever happened with my powers. They always seem to act a little haywire when I'm emotionally charged."

"Regardless of the why, I think that the change is a good thing. One, if this amplified your powers, it'll give you a bit of an advantage over any rogue ghosts that pop up, and you've gained at least two new powers." Sam turned her head upwards to look at him, finding his eyes blazing red and orange as the sunlight wandered across his face, and she sighed, snuggling closer to him. There she remained, secure in his embrace, until the last flecks of sunlight gave way to the night, the stars beginning to twinkle above them.

Getting to her feet, Sam pulled out her cell phone, speed-dialing someone and waiting for the person on the other end of the line to answer. Moments later, she heard a voice on the other end finally pick up. "Hey, Mom, Danny and I were wondering if it'd be okay if I spent the night over at his place." Danny heard little more than muffled garble coming out of the phone, and Sam frowned. "Yes, Mom," she answered, soon followed by more garbled sound. "Since ever," she said, rolling her eyes, listening to her mother. "Since yesterday, and yes, it was." The next sound emitted from her phone resulted in Sam pulling the offending piece of technology to arm's length, a very audible "woo!" screaming from the phone. Once the sound died down, Sam returned the cell to her ear. "See you tomorrow. And no telling Dad. I'll let him know when I see him." She flipped the phone shut after that.

"Well?" Danny asked.

"I'm staying at your place."

Danny's fists pumped into the air, and he looked at Sam with a goofy grin. "I would have said 'woo', but your mom did enough of that to appease all of Amity Park."

Sam couldn't help but laugh. "Mom says she's been waiting for us to finally get past our mutual denseness for a while now."

"And your dad?"

Sam scoffed. "You know how he is. He wants me to marry into a financially sound family, even though we're already well off. I don't want money ruling my life, and the richer most people are, the more superficial they become. I've wanted to be with you for the longest because you liked me for me, rather than for my checkbook, and that's a good portion of why you don't know exactly how much I'm inheriting from the family when I turn twenty-one."

Danny smiled, taking Sam into his arms. "Let's get going," he said, taking to the skies.


	7. Chapter VII

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter VII**

Danny set Sam down on the roof of his house before flying inside.

Sam was walking around on the roof when, a few moments later, a cold sensation ran across her back. Jumping, she turned around and found Danny standing behind her, and he handed her a small note.

Sam read it before looking at Danny. "So we have the place to ourselves again?"

"Yeah, but I think Jazz may just have called in that ghost sighting. Mom wasn't going to let her go to Rebecca's until next week because Jazz has to work on her thesis paper, even though Rebecca basically _is_ her thesis." Danny took Sam's hand and phazed them into his room, opening the closet door and dragging out a sleeping bag and a spare pillow, which he promptly tossed on the floor next to his bed.

"Which do you want?" he asked as he returned to his human form and kicked off his shoes.

"Bed. I'm not a big fan of sleeping on the floor."

"Okay. I think I'm going to crash. I'm totally wiped out." He stretched before tucking himself inside the sleeping bag. "If you get hungry, there's…" He yawned, "some leftover vegetable fried rice in the fridge from yesterday. There's a flashlight on my dresser in case it's really dark."

"Alright. Thanks, Danny," Sam replied as she pulled off her boots and curled up on Danny's bed. Within minutes, she heard Danny's light breathing as he rolled over, unconsciously pulling his face out of the pillow.

_He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping._ She took in a deep breath, inhaling against the pillow, smelling the subtle scent of her boyfriend. Almost instantly, the butterflies started in her stomach, and she groaned in protest.

Sam spent the next half an hour staring at the ceiling, moving slightly as her stomach began to grumble, and she realized that she hadn't eaten at all that day. Quietly, she slipped on her boots, grabbing the flashlight from Danny's dresser as she headed out of his room and down to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she rummaged through the contents for a moment before she found the rice Danny had mentioned, also grabbing a bottle of water before kicking the door shut. Turning on the water in the kitchen sink, she added a bit of water into the rice container before resealing it, popping it into the microwave to reheat it. Taking a gulp of water, she turned the flashlight towards the clock.

9:57. It wasn't really that late, and she was nowhere near tired.

Looking around the kitchen, still amazed by how cozy the little room seemed, even though it served as both kitchen and dining room. The kitchen in her house was huge, and the dining room was in a totally separate part of the house. Her eyes fell across the Fenton's toaster, and she giggled. _I bet Danny would love to see my toaster. Of course, his dad would figure it was possessed and try to beat the ghost out of it._

A buzz awoke her from her thoughts, and she grabbed her rice, getting a fork from the drawer by the sink. As she sat down at the table, she saw the stairway that led to the basement, and realized just how strange it was to see it so dark. She had become so used to the sound of the elder Fentons down there, working on their many inventions.

Having eaten her fill, Sam tossed out the last of her rice, dropping the fork into the sink. Grabbing the flashlight, she turned to go back upstairs, but felt herself drawn towards the basement. Reaching the bottom stair, she flipped the light switch, waiting for the fluorescent lights to turn on.

The lab was incredibly empty, most of the inventions normally hanging on the walls now in pieces. Sam found no sign of the Specter Speeder as she walked up to the Portal, wondering what had happened to the Portal, considering some of the control panels were open, the wires inside looking like they's recently been reattached to their proper locations. _Looks like they're finally trying to get this thing working according to the original plans._ Her foot hit something as she walked closer and she looked down, finding the power cord to the Portal laying, unplugged, at her feet. Continuing forward, she walked up to the Portal, her hand grazing a piece of the metal doorway as she walked into the hollowed-out portion of the basement which housed the main body of the unit, her flashlight falling across the power switch in the dark interior. She examined the buttons, noticing that the 'On' button was pressed in, and she shook her head as she laughed, wondering if they were ever going to move the button to the outside of the Portal.

Turning to leave, Sam froze in place as she saw something she had never expected.

- - - - -

"Danny, get down here! Your mother and I want to show you our latest invention!" Jack called as he finished a diagram on the board near his computer.

The sound reached Sam's ears of shoes thudding against the stairs, and Danny came into view. "What is it _this time_, Dad? I've been wasting my summer coming down here for inventions of yours that don't work, and I don't plan to spend the last week doing the same thing."

_There's still a week of summer vacation left? That week…That's when Danny…_ Sam's eyes went wide as she realized that she was now caught in some sort of conscious dream. _This was when Danny's accident happened._

"Son, we just finished the Fenton Portal. As you can see in this diagram," he said as he smacked the board with a pointer, "when the Portal opens, a ghost will pop out, at which point we can catch it to study it."

Danny blinked, shaking his head. "Dad, nothing else worked so far. Why do you think this will?"

His parents simply smiled as Jack plugged the cords together. A few sparks erupted from within the machine, all of which simply passed through Sam, but past that, nothing happened. As the Fentons walked away, dejected, from their latest failed experiment, Sam stepped out of the Portal.

"Talk about bummed," Danny said, his shoulders falling. "I shouldn't have been so hard on them. I mean, they are trying…" His face brightened then, and he turned to the non-functional Portal. "Maybe I can help." He jumped slightly at the sound of the front door slamming, realizing that his parents had just left the house, and then walked over to the lockers were they kept the jumpsuits. Pulling out the one they'd made for him, he pulled it on over his clothes. "If someone would have told me a week ago I'd be doing this, I would have laughed at them so much," he said, shaking his head a little as he zipped up the suit, walking towards the portal.

Sam moved out of the way, knowing full well that her presence was unnoticed, watching as Danny walked into the Portal, still struggling to finish zipping his suit. He stumbled slightly in the darkness, and Sam saw his hand graze the 'On' button, which clicked into place. Danny turned to look at what he'd hit when a spark of green-tinted electricity shot from the wall and into him. More bolts followed, and Sam backed away just before a large explosion resounded within the Portal, Danny flying out and hitting the floor with a heavy thud. Looking at him, she saw the first few minutes of Danny Phantom's life.

Kneeling at his side, she waited for him to wake up, a groan escaping his lips a few minutes after the accident, and he pushed himself to a sitting position before stumbling to his feet. "What happened?" he asked, then noticed the functioning Portal. "I fixed it!" he cried out elatedly as he turned to head up the stairs. Stopping short, he looked at the ghost standing a few feet away from him, wondering exactly what to do. After all, he hadn't actually believed that ghosts were as real as his parents would have liked to believe. A moment of silent contemplation suddenly turned to fear as the reality of the situation dawned on Danny, and he rushed to the sink, staring at his strange reflection. His eyes locked on the reflective surface, and though he was sure he was still very much alive, the mirror image that appeared was of a youth with white hair and neon green eyes. Reeling away from the sink, he inadvertently phazed through a stack of boxes, and looked down to find himself hovering about an inch above the floor.

"What happened to me?!" he cried. "I'm not a ghost! I'm not! I'm human!" Curling into a ball in the air, he screamed, "I'm a _human_!" He failed to notice the two rings of light that passed over his body, dropping him unceremoniously to the floor. Shakily getting to his feet, he looked at his hands and checked his reflection before heading back upstairs.

Sam felt slightly disoriented as the vision dissipated, and she looked around to find herself in the basement, but back in her own time. Looking at the nearby clock, she sighed. 10:13. Still nowhere near tired, she turned back to look at the Portal. _So that's the accident that changed him. That's what happened to turn him into the Phantom that I know and love._ Sam's eyes went wide. _That's the accident that made him half-ghost, and I know what did it. Maybe I could…_ She shook her head. "What am I thinking? Danny's got enough on his shoulders because of his powers."

_But I'd be able to help carry that burden._ Kneeling, Sam made sure that the cords were a safe distance apart, and she ran into the Portal, smacking the 'Off' button. As she'd figured, the 'On' button popped up in turn. Running back out, she could feel her heart speeding in her chest, and she plugged in the Portal. A few sparks fired, but the Portal remained otherwise inactive. Turning towards the mirror, she brushed her hands over her clothes, knowing full well the permanent effect the transformation would have, and then pulled out her ponytail, letting her hair cascade over her shoulders. Straightening out the cuffs of her pants over her boots, she placed the flashlight on a nearby desk and aimed the light at the interior of the Portal, and made a last-minute adjustment to her shirt as she stepped inside. Placing her hand near the button, she took a deep breath. _This is it_.

_Click._

The button snapped into place, and Sam felt the burning sting of the electricity begin to course through her body, and the sensations that moved through her felt as if her body was become progressively lighter. It was not, however, a painless process, but she refused to scream. After all, she would like for this to be a welcome surprise for Danny and didn't want to risk waking him. Suddenly, a bundle of energy built up near her abdomen, and she was launched clear of the Portal, skidding softly against the floor, but before she was able to get to her feet, a trio of rings snapped into place around her, lifting her into their air. _I'm already getting my new powers?_ She thought as the rings began to spin, and she closed her eyes in expectation of the pain that Danny had gone through. As the light began to grow, she understood why it was that Danny had screamed so much during the process. Not only was there an intense, resonating pain, but the light that formed around her was more than just blinding, and closing her eyes made it no easier to bear.

After what felt to her like hours, she was finally free of the light and lowered the floor. Looking towards the Portal, she focused all of her mental strength and telekinetically pulled the power cords apart, shutting down the Portal once more. As she fell into unconsciousness, she never noticed the blue-white rings turn her back to her human form.

- - - - -

"Sam!" Danny called, having woken up a few minutes earlier to an empty and rather cold bed. Initially assuming she was in the bathroom, he began to panic when both the first- and second-floor bathrooms were empty. "Sam!!" he called again as he walked downstairs and into the living room. Turning, he noticed a half-empty bottle of water on the kitchen table, and then the flicker of lights from the basement. Running through the kitchen, his heart in his throat, he all but fell down the stairs, finding Sam unconscious on the metal floor. Rushing to her side, he lifted her body into his arms, shaking her shoulder softly. "Sam, wake up," he said. "Come on, wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and she wrapped an arm around Danny as he hugged her.

"What are you doing down here?" he asked. "I was starting to get worried that something attacked you last night after I went to sleep."

Sam shook her head. "I was in the kitchen last night when it sounded like something fell down in the basement. I wanted to see what it was, and I guess I must have slipped and hit my head."

"You okay, though?" he asked as he ran his hand gently over the back of her head.

"Danny, trust me, I'm fine," she said, pushing herself to her feet. "Want to head over to my house for breakfast?"

"Sure."

The two headed, hand in hand, to the front door, Danny grabbing their jackets as they headed out the door.

- - - - -

After a few plates of pancakes and some orange juice, Danny had left for home, Sam immediately heading up to her room, locking the door behind her and closing the curtains.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the idea of 'going ghost'. When she finally felt the small rush of cold air, she opened her eyes and gasped. The mirror hanging on her door showed her a girl with shoulder-length white hair, a white tube top, white low-rise jeans with silver-gray stitching, and white combat boots with silver soles. Finally looking face-to-face with her reflection, Sam stepped back. Her eyes, although expectedly altered from her human form, were not the emerald green she would have associated with being half-ghost, but rather a luminescent teal. Resting her hands on her hips, she smiled at the unusual sight of her in so much bright clothing. "Danny is going to flip when he sees me," she said, flipping open her cell phone and dialing the hybrid.

"Hello?"

"Danny, I'm going to catch a nap. That floor was not kind to me at all. I'll call you later when I'm awake, okay?"

She heard his gentle sigh over the phone. "Okay, but you're sure you're fine?"

"Yeah. I just really don't do floors."

"Love you," he said.

"Love you, too."

- - - - -

Thankful that she'd paid some form of attention to Danny during his ghost hunting, Sam progressed very quickly through understanding her powers. Within the first hour, she'd managed to get the hang of phazing, invisibility and intangibility, having used her newfound abilities to go downstairs and grab a bottle of water – through the floor, of course. Two more hours found her able to manipulate her ectoplasm to form both energy balls and shields. By the time she finally called Danny back at nine that night, she'd also figured out how to hover and fly, as well as begin to use her telekinetic ability.

The relief in Danny's voice was evident during their conversation, and she told him to meet up with her the next morning before getting off of the phone. Waiting until about ten, Sam felt the urge to go for her first solo flight, and slipped into ghost form before phazing out of the house and into the warm night air.

Tomorrow was the school's observance of Memorial Day, so there would be little concern for her save for keeping her hybrid status from Danny until she felt it necessary to let him know. The delay in informing him would also provide her with valuable time to develop her own powers. As she flew further, her thoughts began to stray until she was flying freely, not caring where her powers took her.

She stopped in mid-air, going invisible just after a small wisp of bluish mist slipped from between her lips. Having lost track of her thoughts, she had inadvertently flown right to Danny's house. Only a few seconds after her ghost sense had gone off, she was thankful that she'd thought to go invisible as Danny came blasting out of his bedroom window, eyes scouring the night sky for the ghost he knew was nearby. Looking around for a moment, Sam watched as he headed for the park, and she quickly headed back for home. Transforming as she flew into her closet, she quickly changed into black pajamas, waiting for the mist to emerge before stepping back into her room. As she walked towards her bed, Danny knocked softly on her window, and she waved him inside.

Phazing through the window, he pressed his lips softly against Sam's forehead, his hands sliding slowly around her waist.

"You okay, Danny?" Sam asked. "You seem worried."

Danny held her tightly. "There's a ghost around town somewhere, but I can't find it. I just wanted to stop by to make sure it wasn't around here somewhere and that you were okay. I'm still a little worried about last night, seeing as neither of us is sure of what happened and you didn't call until about an hour ago."

"It kind of skipped my mind when I woke up. I was hungry, and then…well, you know."

He smiled softly as he kissed her, his right hand twitching slightly as they parted, and Sam gasped softly as Danny lifted her into the air, wrapping her up comfortably in her blanket before pulling her quilt down. "Is the air conditioning always this high?" he asked as he pulled the quilt over her as well. She nodded, knocking a few loose hairs in front of her eyes, which Danny gently moved behind her ear as he knelt next to the bed. Leaning over, he kissed her once more before flying out of her room.


	8. Chapter VIII

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter VIII**

Sam's eyes fluttered open slowly, and she rolled onto her back, stretching, noticing the strange white bracelets on her wrists. Aware of what they indicated, she quickly reverted back to her human form before crawling out of bed and heading into the bathroom. After taking a quick shower, she donned a black tee and a pair of jeans, brushing her hair as she stepped back into her room. Tossing the brush aside, she began making her bed, wondering when Danny would be waking up and heading over.

As if on cue, there was a gentle knocking on her bedroom door, and she called out, "Come in," fully expecting it to be her grandmother. Danny, however, stepped through the door, a wide smile on his face.

"Since when are you awake before lunch, Phantom?" she asked, her eyes meeting his ice blues.

"Um, Sam," he said, pointing to himself, "I'm in human form."

"I know," she replied, "but as I am against conformity, I refuse to use a conventional nickname for you, like 'sugar' or 'honey'. There and thus, Phantom."

Danny smirked and shrugged. "Did you have any actual plans, or could we just swing by Tucker's and then go grab some ice cream or something?"

"That sounds good," she said, putting on her boots before heading downstairs with him, grabbing both their jackets as they headed out.

"You don't mind walking, do you?"

Sam shook her head. "I've been doing too much flying as it is," smiling softly at the double meaning, knowing full well Danny wouldn't catch it.

And, as expected, he didn't. Rather, he blushed in embarrassment, hooking the thumb of one hand into his pocket, the other hand sliding into Sam's, their fingers interlacing. A block and a half later, he pulled away suddenly, turning his pockets inside out. "Sam, I need to stop off at home…"

"I have some cash on hand, Danny. You could…" She was silenced by the affectionate touch of his lips against hers, his tongue running lightly over her lips.

"No, Sam. This is my treat." Turning at the next corner, they headed for the Fenton household. Once inside, Danny told Sam to head upstairs as he headed for the kitchen.

Sam walked up to Danny's room, plopped down at the desk and shook the mouse. As the computer screen slowly lit up, she double-clicked his instant messenger icon, the log-on box popping up. A vertical black line blinked at her, asking for the username and password, and she sighed, realizing that she had yet to activate her own account. _Danny,_ she thought at the hybrid a floor below her, _what is your log-on info for the messenger? I haven't opened my account yet._

_Phantom lover zero zero one, and the password is Sam ten thirty-one. The name is all one word, p and l capped, and the password is all lowercase._

Typing in the info, she saw that Tucker was online and opened a chat window.

PhantomLover001 has signed on

PhantomLover001: hey tuck how was the weekend?

TuckstheMan759: danny? whats w/the new name? and boring, btw

PhantomLover001: its sam im at dannys

PhantomLover001: u can ask him about it when u c him. what do u say 2 a movie?

TuckstheMan759: sure whos paying?

PhantomLover001: ill cover 4 u

TuckstheMan759: thnx do i have 2 pay u back?

PhantomLover001: ill let u slide this once

TuckstheMan759: ok

PhantomLover001: c u in 10

TuckstheMan759: c u

TuckstheMan759 has signed off

PhantomLover001 has signed off

Sam closed the program and leaned back in the chair just as Danny walked into the room and handed her a bottle of water. Sitting down on his bed, he reached under his pillow, pulling out a small rubber-banded wad of bills, pulling away a twenty and a ten. Slipping the money into his pocket, he cracked the lid off of his bottle and began chugging the water, which ended about halfway through with him stopping suddenly and gripping the bridge of his nose.

_Brain freeze?_ Sam asked, and he nodded. _You know, Danny, you're a total mushball with the new screen name, and Tuck is cool with a movie. I told him we'd be there in about ten minutes, but it is curious about the new name. And speaking of curious, where'd you get the cash?_

_I save up what I can, here and there. There's only about fourteen bucks left, and it's all in singles._ Danny grinned as he managed to finish his water. "And it might be more than ten minutes," he said seductively as he leaned over, Sam levitating onto his bed and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Sam quickly capped the water bottle and tossed it aside, her fingers delving into his raven locks, as she snuggled into him, but carefully avoiding the kiss he was so intent on giving.

Growing tired of Sam's game, he telekinetically held her head still, pressing his lips softly against hers, smirking slightly as he pulled away, knowing he'd ended up getting a decent smear of her lipstick somewhere on his face. He groaned as she pushed away, grabbing her water bottle from the floor before darting out of the room with a giggle.

On the way down the stairs, she missed the second-to-last stair, and put her arms out to buffer the fall. About halfway down, she felt her body freeze in mid-air, and watched as Danny calmly walked down the stairs beside her, his right hand twitching slightly.

As he stood in front of her, he opened his arms, as if for a hug, and the twitching ceased.

Sam fell the rest of the way, now meeting the soft cushion of Danny rather than the hard floor, but the angle at which she'd landed, only by him turning his lower half intangible did they avoid her kneeing him in the crotch.

"I have got to pay more attention to where you're landing the next time I decide to save your life from evil, possessed stairs. Now, does your hero get an _actual_ kiss?"

Sam leaned up, planting a firm, yet gentle kiss upon his lips before pulling away with a smile. "First off, you didn't save my life, you saved me from hurting my arms, and secondly, your stairs are not possessed. I missed one."

"Exactly. Possessed. Like I said."

Sam sighed with feigned exasperation as she got to her feet. "Can we get going already?" she asked, grabbing a tissue from the living room table and wiping Danny's lips.

- - - - -

As Danny rang the doorbell, Sam leaned into him, her hand reaching for his, and their fingers intertwined as the door opened, Tucker dropping his cell phone and PDA into his pockets as he stepped out. "Hey, guys. At least the…" His eyes fell to their hands for a moment before looking around, a worried expression on his face. "Where's Ember?"

"What are you talking about?" Sam and Danny asked in unison.

Tucker pointed to their hands, and the two pulled apart.

"Ember's not around, Tuck," Sam said, her hand sliding around Danny's back. Tucker's eyes went wide as Danny returned the motion.

"Now do you get the new screen name?" Danny asked, and Tucker couldn't help the smile that broke onto his face as he hugged his friends.

"Glad to see the two of you got over the mutual cluelessness," Tucker said, but suddenly broke away, looking slightly concerned. "This isn't going to cut in on 'us' time, is it?"

Sam shook her head. "Of course not. Just because we're together doesn't mean we're gonna push you away, Tuck."

"It's no big deal," Danny said with a smirk. "You'll just have to excuse us if we start getting all kissy-face during the movie."

Sam punched him softly in the arm. "He's kidding."

- - - - -

By the time they had gotten to the theater, Sam had to run to the restroom. As she passed out of earshot, Danny turned to Tucker. "That was a good job today, Tuck, but you could have done with a little less of the dramatics when you mentioned Ember."

He shrugged. "You said I had to make it seem like I didn't know anything, and with her bugging me about all the romantic rose stuff you did…"

"She pestered you that much?"

"You have no idea."

"Still, I do appreciate it. It helped me make this whole thing…memorable."

"Anytime, man. You know I'm there for you when you need me. What else are friends for?"

As they saw Sam emerge from the restroom, Danny and Tucker headed over to the ticket counter and started looking over the movie listing.

Twenty-odd minutes later, they had decided that a movie was not in the cards for them today, as they couldn't come to an agreement on what to go see. It was then figured that they would head over to the Nasty Burger for lunch and figure out where to go from there.

Danny sent Sam and Tucker to go find a booth as he went up to order the food, returning first with the drinks: a root beer for Tucker, water for Sam, and iced tea for himself. Dropping next to Sam in the seat, he nuzzled into her as he took a few tentative sips of his drink, getting up soon after when their order number was called.

"Alright," Danny said, returning. "One Mighty Meaty Cheesy Melt for you," he commented as he slid the burger to Tucker, "and a pair of tofu cheese melts and salads for the cute couple on this side of the table."

Sam blushed lightly as Danny handed her the food, setting it down on the table.

"Any particular kind of dressing?"

"Red wine vinaigrette," she answered, and he trotted back to the counter to grab two packets of salad dressing. Returning to his seat, he dumped the thick red dressing over his own salad, passing Sam the packet of hers.

"French?" she asked.

"Russian, actually," Danny answered. "It's kinda like French, but with a little more zing. Try some?"

Sam reached over, dipping her pinky into the fluid before popping the digit into her mouth. "Huh…that is pretty good." Wiping her finger, she turned her attention to the food sitting in front of her, digging in with gusto.

Tucker watched the two dig away, noting, with slight hilarity, Danny's sudden change to vegetarian eating habits. He bit into the large sandwich, the tender piece of meat giving way under his bite, and he wondered how Danny could, just out of the blue, go cold turkey with eating meat. He was sure that he would never be able to. His response to Sam's menu change a couple years before was proof enough of that.

Sam finished her salad and sandwich, nudging Danny to let her out. He slid out of the booth, handing her the ten before she walked up to the counter to grab dessert. She returned a few minutes later with three milkshakes, two vanilla and one strawberry. Handing the strawberry one to Tucker, who had just finished his meal, she slid back into her seat, giving one vanilla shake to Danny and sipping contentedly on hers.

"I thought you don't do dairy," Tucker said.

"I don't. The shakes I got for me and Danny are made with soy milk."

Danny swallowed too fast when Sam said this, which resulted in him choking on his drink.

She turned to look at him, that old smirk on her face. "Surprised?"

"Yeah. I was actually wondering why it tasted so different from the shakes I usually get."

Sam smiled. _What's with the sudden change in your eating habits?_

_I love you and respect your beliefs. Just because I eat meat doesn't mean that I should do so when I'm with you. After all, I'm not Tucker. I'm not going to sit down with the biggest pile of meat that will fit between two slices of bread and then wonder why you're looking at me funny. I'm willing to do that for you. Heck, when we get married, I'm probably going ultra-recyclo anyhow._

"I thought you said it was garbage," Sam said, before realizing that she'd said the last part out loud when the rest of the conversation had been private.

Tucker looked at them, Sam's comment coming clear out of the blue.

"I gained a couple new powers over the weekend," Danny explained, "so now I'm a telekinetic, and Sam and I have this whole telepath thing going on. I've already tried with my parents, just to see if they'd bug out and think there was a ghost in the house, but I don't think I can affect anyone else."

He turned to Sam, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. _In regards to the 'garbage' thing, things have changed since the turf-wich incident._


	9. Chapter IX

**Disclaimer:** _Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter IX**

After lunch, the decision had been made for them to head back to Sam's house for movie night. Halfway there, however, Danny had figured that they'd make a short detour through the park, though he didn't say why, nor did Sam or Tucker ask.

As the three of them passed the entrance to the park, a wisp of blue smoke slipped out of Danny's mouth, and he sighed, transforming and flying off, leaving Tucker and Sam waiting for him to return.

After Danny had left, Tucker finally noticed Sam holding her breath, and poked her in jest, surprised to see the same blue mist spill out of her mouth as she exhaled. "Tell me I did not just see what I thought I saw," he managed a moment later, after he'd finally found his voice.

"I'd be lying if I told you that you hadn't," she answered. "I…had a bit of an accident Saturday night."

"So you're telling me that…" Tucker gasped as Sam turned to look at him, her normally violet eyes now a glowing teal. "How?"

"I really don't know what came over me," she answered as her eyes reverted to their normal color. "I somehow managed to fall into a waking dream where I saw Danny's accident, and I figured that if I repeated it and became half-ghost that I'd be able to help him." Sam looked at her feet. "You're not mad at me for this, are you?"

Tucker raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be?"

"Between this and me and Danny dating, I'm worried that you'll feel like we're trying to push you away, even though we aren't."

"To be honest, Sam," he said, resting a hand on her shoulder, "I figured you and Danny were going to be dating sometime in the near future anyhow, so that doesn't bother me. As for the ghost powers, I swore off wanting them after the Desiree incident freshman year. Even if they weren't inherently evil, I've seen what Danny has to go through to defend himself, and that's why I'm so confused as to why you'd willingly sacrifice half of your own humanity."

"After seeing Danny live like he's had to, that's what made me want to do this," Sam muttered. "I was sick of only being able to stand idly by and watch as he struggled to survive through the battles alone."

"Didn't it ever occur to you that Danny was okay with that because it meant it kept you out of harm's way? He loves you, and the last thing he wants is to see you hurt."

Sam looked at him, a little stunned by his sudden introspection.

The look she had given him sparked yet another thought. "Danny doesn't know yet, does he?"

Sam shook her head solemnly. "And I have no idea how to go about telling him."

"You could always come in out of nowhere during a ghost fight and capture the ghost," Tucker suggested.

"Any particular ghost you have in mind?" Sam asked, interested in his idea.

"Well…" Tucker said as he scrolled through his PDA, "this one seems like a decent idea. We'd just have to find where it's hiding in the Zone."

Taking the PDA, Sam looked at the image of the ghost wolf that had attacked her a good while back by the Nasty Burger, though she failed to remember if it had been freshman or sophomore year. "As great an idea as this may be, I'm not letting that thing loose near his house, seeing as we have to be in relative proximity to sense it."

"Release it in the park. Use me as bait."

"Tucker, I'm not about to…"

"If you're anything like Danny, you're telekinetic, so you'd be able to hold the thing steady until Danny got close enough to engage, and part way through, you'd jump in and save the day…and me," he said with a smirk.

"You have an extra Thermos to hold him in? Danny kinda ruined mine a while back, and I haven't managed to get a replacement one yet."

"Yeah," he replied, "and as for catching it…you can sneak into Danny's on Wednesday, get into the Zone, find the wolf and catch it."

"There's only one problem with that plan – Danny's parents shut the Portal down, and I wouldn't be able to leave it running because either his parents would come and shut it down while I was still inside, or Danny would think that something was up and investigate, and that would blow our whole plan out of the water."

Tucker thought about it for a moment before shrugging. "Come to my house and pick me up. I'll unplug it after you're in and reactivate it when you're on your way out. I'll just have to find a hiding spot in case someone does come downstairs. We'll hold the ghost until Friday after school so that it doesn't distract Danny any other time in the week, and it'll give us time to come up with stories so that we can split up. We figure the rest out from there."

"Sounds like a plan. What time would you want me to pick you up on Wednesday?"

"Around midnight or so, just to make sure everyone at the house is asleep."

Sam nodded. "We're just lucky that Danny can't tap into your mind. As long as I don't really concern myself with this where he'll read it, he won't have an idea of what's going on." A wisp of blue smoke emitted from Sam's lips. "He's on his way back."

Sure enough, a streak of black and white showed just above the trees a moment later. Danny landed by Sam, transforming as he wrapped his arms around her.

"So, how goes it?" Tucker asked.

"It was just the Box Ghost, though I'd love to know how he manages to keep getting out, even with the Portal closed down. I had to head home to get the Thermos, and, well," he said as he held up the Thermos, rattling it around, "he's been packed for delivery."

Switching forms, he flew the three of them the rest of the way to Sam's. Walking in, Tucker headed for the basement to start sorting through the movies as Sam and Danny, who had just turned back to Fenton, went to raid the kitchen. They joined Tucker shortly after, Sam's arms laden with bottles of water, some wheat chips, and a pile of random fruits and vegetables from her greenhouse. Danny was right behind her, a few cans of soda and a couple of small meat platters in his hands.

Handing the plates and one of the sodas to Tucker, he left the rest on the tables beside the chairs.

Sam ad already sat down in one of the armchairs, and Danny plopped down on the floor in front of her, his back resting against her legs.

Grabbing an apple from her pile of snacks and a bottle of water, he bit into the fruit as the movie started.

- - - - -

About eight hours later, Tucker and Danny got up to leave. Sam hugged them both, but as she took Danny into her arms, she pulled him aside as Tucker ascended the stairs. Planting a burning kiss on his lips, pressing her body between hers and the wall, and snaring her fingers into his hair, she pulled his head closer still, the pressure on their lips just short of painful.

Danny's hands wound around her waist and pulled her even closer against his body, even as the sound of footsteps on the stairs reached his ears.

Tucker stopped on the last step. "Hey, Danny, we better get going. We've got school tomorrow." Upon not getting an answer, he looked into the room, and upon finding Danny and Sam engaged as they were, turned back around. "I'll…um…leave you two alone for a moment."

Danny smiled as he heard Tucker return upstairs, and smiled into the kiss as he lifted one foot, planting it against the wall before pushing off.

The unexpected movement sent Sam off-balance, and the pair toppled to the floor, parting lips just before impact.

Danny grinned as he started to pull himself off of Sam, but she lunged at him, rolling them over and pinning him beneath her body. He blushed as her lips grazed the exposed flesh of his neck, gasping at the sensation as he reached for her chin, raising her up far enough that he could press his lips to hers once more as his hands explored her back.

Sam's hands found their way, once more, to his tangled locks, and she felt the heated blush rise to her face as pulled a leg up between her thigh, and the situation being as it was, she was thankful she'd worn pants today.

Danny let himself fall further into the kiss, his tongue gliding over her lips for a moment, and once she'd allowed him further, all reality seemed to melt away, leaving him and Sam as the only two things in existence. _Sam, we've got to stop. You're…driving me…insane._

Sam pushed her lips against his once more, biting softly on them before pulling away, and she smiled as her eyes met with his. Those ocean-deep wells were churning like mad, glowing with his love for her. Pushing herself to her feet, she helped Danny up before they headed upstairs, hand in hand.

Danny nodded towards Tucker as they came into view, signaling that he should head home.

Waving goodbye, Tucker walked out of the door, a goofy grin nearly splitting his face in two.

"What's with him?" Sam asked.

"He's probably still happy that we're finally together," Danny answered, leaning down and biting softly on her neck.

Sam giggled softly. "And speaking of us, why aren't you going home?"

"I don't want to say good night just yet," he answered with a kiss.

The two headed up to the second floor, to Sam's room, and Danny stopped for a second at the door, almost afraid to enter, his hand shaking softly as he pressed it against the polished wood. Taking a deep breath, he walked into her room for the first time in years, Sam's hands twined with his. He pulled her forward, spinning her around and taking her into his arms, falling against the door, shutting it, his eyes locked with hers, a soft smile spreading over his face.

There was no sorrow or pain her eyes any longer, and it made him feel all the more in love with her that he'd been able to do that for her. He remembered so frighteningly well how empty her eyes had looked back then, and fought against the coming tears as his thoughts turned to the hollowness he had found in those beautiful amethyst eyes when she'd woken up in the hospital after she'd tried to kill herself.

He remembered how upset she had been with her family because of his father's repeated efforts to prevent her from hanging out with him and Tucker all the time, not wanting her to associate with kids that didn't come from established families. He'd realized that she hadn't come to school the day of the eighth grade trip to the zoo, and was worried that she would miss out on a trip she'd been so excited about for weeks prior. Having gotten her missed assignments from the teachers, he had come to her house to drop the stuff off, and, as had become the norm, he let himself in. Her parents were away on business, and it had been a month before her grandmother had moved in.

He closed his eyes, hearing the walls of her room echo with the scream that he'd loosed when he'd opened her bedroom door to find her unconscious in a widening pool of her own blood, the violet carpet stained carmine around her. Panicked, he had scrambled for the phone on her nightstand, crying as he contacted emergency services, and was only allowed to ride with her to the hospital because of the state of shock that he'd fallen into. He had barely been able to give the nurse that was tending to him the numbers for their parents so that they could be contacted, and only because of his refusal to go anywhere but, was kept in the same room as Sam when she was finally out of the ER.

He felt a tear slide down his cheeks as his hands slid to her wrists, thumbs gliding over the bracelets she wore, knowing that Tucker, by some miracle, had never discovered that she wore them to hide the scars of her attempted suicide.

The moment his hands shifted to her wrists, she knew why it was that he was so troubled by coming to her room. Nuzzling into him, she pulled her arms away from him, wrapping them around his waist and holding him tightly. She owed him her very life for what he had done. "This is the first time in three years…you've been in here, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he answered. "The nightmares of that day still plague me, and I've been so afraid…" he stopped for a moment, resting his head against her shoulder, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. "I've been so very afraid of ever losing you because I know that I'd lose myself…and I'm so sorry, Sam."

Sam blinked. "For what?"

Danny walked to her bed, sitting down on the edge and patting it to indicate that he wanted her to sit with him.

Dropping beside him, she leaned into his arms, laying across his lap and nestled in the crook of one arm, his free hand running across her hair, brushing it behind her ears. "For not telling you how I felt about you sooner."

"It's alright, Danny," she said softly, turning towards him. "In the end, I'm just glad that you were able to…make it here in time. There's so much I would have missed if you…"

"Don't, Sam, please," Danny said, pressing two fingers against her lips. "You're alive and well and here with me. That's all that matters." He hugged her tightly. "Speaking of being with me, has anyone told your father yet?"

"Yeah. He's upset about it, but according to my mother, his response was basically that he'd rather see me with you than in a coffin, so he'll have to live with it. Some support, huh?"

Danny shrugged. "Your dad is just stubborn." He sighed, "As for me, my parents will be home tonight, so I'll have a chance to let them know then. I wonder how they'll take it."

"Probably better than they would take finding out you're half-ghost."

Looking across the bed, Danny noticed a framed picture on her nightstand and grinned – it was the picture Tucker had encouraged them into taking on the night of their first dance. Reaching his arm up, he levitated the photo and ran his thumb lightly over the image, blushing when he saw just how low on her hips his hand had been resting. "I must have been really dumb to not have said something that night. I really should have told you then."

Sam smiled, "One word: Paulina," she said, dragging out the name like Danny had used to do. "You were all over her for that dance. You remember how you got that date?

Danny couldn't help but laugh. "I phazed right out of my pants." He thought about the incident. "Although, in retrospect, I agree with what you said when Paulina thought you called her shallow."

"She misunderstood me. She did have one good point, though."

"What?"

"You do have good taste in underwear."

Danny blushed. "Um…thanks?"

"You have a copy of this, don't you?"

"A couple, actually, and in all honesty, I've probably got more pictures of us than you do. You only got to see a small part of it during the Ember fiasco."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. Did you go dumpster diving at some point for that lock of my hair?"

"For some reason, when you cut your hair back in seventh grade, I kept the lock that missed the garbage can."

"You've had that since then?!"

Looking over at the clock, Danny nodded. "I should get going," he said, picking her up in his arms before laying her down on her bed, tucking the blankets around her before leaning down, planting a soft kiss on her lips. Turning to the window, he transformed, phazing through her window and flying off for home.

Sam slowly exhaled, watching as the thin blue smoke trailed from her lips, dissipating quickly and leaving her to fall gently to sleep, the stars in the night sky drifting overhead.


	10. Chapter X

**Disclaimer:** _Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter X**

"Danny!" she screamed, running like mad through the park, dodging the few of Skulker's blasts that were aimed at her. She'd only noticed his presence after his ectoplasmic energy blast had hit her, and she had bolted.

"Get away from her!" Danny blazed across the sky, firing off a number of large blasts that sent the ghost reeling, and Danny quickly grabbed the Thermos from off of his belt. Before it had a chance to power up, Skulker recovered and attacked Danny, taking the hybrid by the neck and flinging him into a nearby tree. The impact knocked him unconscious, and he reverted to his human form.

Sam stopped running, turning defiantly on the ghost that walked towards her, cage in hand. "Skulker, leave us alone," she managed, shaking slightly.

"No. You are the one the boy has chosen, and thereby make the perfect bait for me to finally capture my prize. Now, be good, my human prey, and come to me. You cannot fight me, and there is no way you can run from me."

Sam stood her ground, standing straight up. "You're wrong about that."

Skulker took a step back as two blue-white rings surrounded Sam, morphing her into her ghost form, and he looked at her with a twisted smile. "I don't know whether to be excited because I now have new prey or saddened by the fact that your existence makes the boy less of a rarity."

Sam felt her power surge within her, green light coalescing around her hands. "You. Will. Not. Hunt. Us," she said, each word seething with rage.

The hunter took an apprehensive step back as Sam fired off her first ectoplasmic blast, which caught him full on in the chest, hitting with such force that the suit crumpled around him.

Walking over to the helmet of the unit, Sam kicked it away from the main pile of scrap before levitating the Thermos into her hand and sucking the helmet and ghost into it. Safely secured in the unit, Sam's concern turned to Danny. Knowing that he might well recognize her, she hoped that she would be able to somehow manipulate her clothing, and as she concentrated on the desired changes, she felt her outfit morph around her. Once the change had felt as if it finished, Sam opened her eyes, smiling. Her normally tight choker necklace was now a silver necklace adorned with a teardrop-shaped diamond, and her bracelets had been changed into a pair of ivory, elbow-length fingerless gloves. Knocking a bit of hair over the right side of her face, she leaned over Danny's body, running a hand gingerly over his forehead, watching as he shivered under her touch.

Danny felt a hand graze against him, soft but cold, and his eyes fluttered open to find a figure in white leaning over him, his vision somewhat blurry. The only thing he could make out for sure was the stunning pair of teal eyes that met his own. "Angel?" he asked, his voice slightly slurred.

Sam shook her head as she helped Danny into a sitting position, moving his back against the tree.

Blinking, Danny tried to clear his vision, and when he turned his eyes back on the being near him, he found a female kneeling at his side. Her clothing was almost blindingly white, her hair, though not as bright as her clothes, also white and fluttering in the wind.

She smiled as she handed him the Thermos, noting that he had no idea who she was. "I am not what you think, ghost child. Why do you ask?"

"I'm sorry. I guess I hit my head a little harder than I thought…I'm still a little…jumbled…wait…" He looked around, panic rising in his eyes. "Where's Sam?!"

"Your beloved is safe. I moved her into one of the trees when I saw Skulker try to attack her. He is within the prison you carry," she said, motioning to the Thermos. "Wait here, ghostly warrior. I will return the human girl to you."

Danny rested against the tree, eyes drifting shut, as a small gust of wind let him know that the ghost had left.

Sam flew a short distance away, smiling at the fact he'd mistaken her for an angel, regardless of the fact he'd said so after taking a hit to the head. She had wanted to tell him then and there who she really was, but figured that Tucker would have been disappointed. He had, after all, agreed to spend a decent bit of time working towards their plan.

Looking towards where Danny was, she was sure that he wouldn't notice the flash of her transformation, and turned human. Jogging back to where he was, she knelt by him, taking his hand in hers.

Danny's eyes snapped open. "Where is she?" he asked.

"Who?"

"The ghost that saved us. I forgot to thank her."

Sam smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair. "She flew off after she got me out of the tree. She said she had something else to take care of…whatever that meant."

Danny leaned against Sam, wrapping his arms around her. "At least you're okay. That's all I'm concerned with." Danny shifted slightly, using the tree to support himself as he got to his feet.

Sam stood and took him into her arms, and became suddenly aware of the sensation of falling, caught in the embrace of her boyfriend as her world went black.

- - - - -

Sam reached out from under her covers and smacked the alarm clock next to her bed, silencing the alarm, annoyed that it had snapped her out of another dream. Crawling out of bed, she headed for the bathroom, barely surprised to see her ghost form looking back at her from the mirror. She changed back as she stepped into the shower, phazing out of her clothing.

Adorned with only a towel, Sam sorted through the various pieces of fabric in her closet, finally settling for a black spaghetti-strapped tee and a pair of tight black jeans. She thought about it for a moment, staring at the few pairs of boots she owned, opting for a pair of black zip-up boots with a one-inch heel.

_What has gotten into me?_ she thought with a shake of her head. _I don't really like the idea of looking overtly feminine, but here I am, wearing heels._ "Oh, the crazy things I do for you, Danny."

Walking back into her room, she dropped onto the bed to put on her boots as the first rays of sunlight arced across her wall. Closing her eyes, she mentally reached for the hybrid a few blocks away, and felt his mind caress hers, could almost see him, when his thoughts broke into her mind.

_Morning, love. You want me and Tucker to stop by your place on the way to school?_

_Tell Tuck to go on ahead. I figure we'll throw the whole school upside-down if it's just you and me walking in together._

_Planning on showing me off to all the ladies, huh?_

_Yeah. Paulina is going to be so jealous._

_Who's Paulina?_

Sam laughed. _That's a great way to start the day. I'll see you in an hour, okay?_

_Okay. Love you, Sam._

_I love you, too, Danny._

- - - - -

Danny slipped on his shoes as he sat on his bed, throwing his books into his backpack. He laid back once the laces were tied, his thoughts focusing on the upcoming day. The whole school was going to know about him and Sam by the end of the day, and it didn't bother him one bit about all the gossip that was going to start flying.

Grabbing his backpack, he tore downstairs, grabbing a couple pieces of toast before turning and heading for the front door. He tried to slip past his sister, but the look on her face and the firm grip on his backpack stopped him.

"What do you want, Jazz? I have to get to school."

"Danny, I'm worried about you. All of last week, you were locking yourself in your room, skipping meals, and were late coming home. Now, today, you're acting all hyperactive. You're not doing something illegal, are you?"

Danny snorted. "Of course not," he said with a smirk. "Although what I have been doing causes one of the best legal highs in life." His smirk fell with the look of concern on his sister's face. "Don't worry about it, Jazz. You'll see at school today."

"Okay," Jazz said, relaxing a little, "but are you coming right home? I want to talk to you."

"Depends."

"On what?"

With a smirk, he pulled free of her grip. "You'll see," he said as he walked out the door and headed for Sam's.

- - - - -

Sam could sense that Danny was nearby, and looked out her window. Danny was, in fact, downstairs and smiling as he waved to her. She turned away and yelled through her partially-opened door, "Dad, let Danny in, please!" Grabbing her books, she tucked them under her arm as she headed out of her room.

Danny's jaw fell slack as Sam began walking down the stairs, astonished at the change of wardrobe.

Sam smiled at his reaction, blushing lightly, and wrapped an arm around his neck as he walked over to her, hugging him as best she could with an armload of books. She handed over the small stack of textbooks as she grabbed her jacket.

Danny shifted her books under one arm, the other sliding around her waist as they stepped out the front door and headed for school.


	11. Chapter XI

**Disclaimer:** _Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XI**

The whole school literally stopped as Sam and Danny walked in, hand in hand, and Sam couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks as a few of the upper-classmen started whistling. Danny only smirked as he tightened his grip on her waist as they walked up to their lockers. Handing her books over, Danny dumped out all but his English book into his locker.

"Hey, Danny!" a voice rang out.

_Danny?_

_I heard her. I got this._

"Hey, Paulina," Danny greeted as he closed his locker, leaning against it. "How's it going?"

"It's pretty good. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out during lunch. I got a new _Dumpty Humpty_ CD and thought that you and I could listen to it."

"I'd love to, Paulina, considering the band," he said with a smile, "but Sam and I have plans today."

"Oh, okay," she said, and Danny could tell that she was both disappointed and surprised by his rejection of her. "Maybe tomorrow then?"

"I sincerely doubt that," he answered, his voice dropping a bit lower. "I'd rather spend my time with someone that actually cares about and appreciates me."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, a look of mock innocence on her face.

"Paulina, we all know that if I hadn't walked in with Sam, you wouldn't have bothered noticing that I exist, so whatever sense of self-gratification you get from stealing other women's boyfriends, go find it with someone else."

The young woman gasped, appalled that Danny Fenton, probably the lowest person on the social ladder, had just made a fool of her…and in front of her classmates, at that. Turning on her heel, she stormed off, ranting about the audacity of that 'weirdo freak'.

Dash overheard, and he tore off down the hall, slamming Danny into the lockers. "How dare you and your creepy little girlfriend do that to Paulina? She never did anything to you!"

Danny struggled, Dash's grip on his shirt choking him, suspended about an inch above the floor.

Sam tried to intervene, but Dash turned and swung his free hand around, the back of his fist meeting with Sam's cheek, the blow knocking Sam to the floor with a cry of pain.

Swinging hard, the anger roiling inside him, Danny's fist came into painful contact with Dash's face, and the jock let go, Danny dropping to his feet as Dash lost his grip.

Glaring at Danny, Dash turned towards the goth huddled on the floor, currently cradling her reddened cheek, a tear caught in the corner of her eye. He took a single step towards her before Danny's voice, menacing and dangerous, echoed through the hallway.

"Don't you _fucking touch her_!" he screamed, dropping low and kicking Dash's legs out from under him, knocking him flat on his back. Cocking his fist back, Danny was ready to swing for Dash's face again when a warm hand grabbed his. Turning to look, he found Sam holding onto him, trying to pull him away.

"Wow, Fen-turd, I didn't realize the creepy chick had you collared and trained like her dog."

Danny stood slowly, his body shaking with withheld anger, and he could feel the surge of his ghostly energy start to course through him.

Sam felt it also, and she gently wrapped her arms around him. _Don't do this, Phantom. He's not worth it._

"Get this straight, Dash," Danny said, glowering at the jock. "I am not going to put up with any more of your crap or the idiotic insults." As Dash moved to get up, Danny planted his foot against the boy's chest, forcing him back down. "And if you _ever_ have the balls to even _think_ of hitting Sam again," he growled, "you will pay dearly. _Very_ dearly."

"Grapes of Wrath! What do you think you're doing, Mr. Fenton?!" Mr. Lancer said as he emerged from his office. "What's going on here?"

"I'm protecting Sam, Mr. Lancer," Danny answered, turning to the vice principal as he pulled his foot away. "Dash hit her."

Lancer's eyes widened as he looked at the reddened, swollen cheek of the girl. "Ms. Manson, are you alright?"

Sam nodded, her left eye watering. "It hurts, but I didn't hear anything break when he hit me."

Lancer exhaled, looking at the boy on the floor. "Mr. Fenton, please escort Ms. Manson to the nurse's office and stay with her until the nurse releases her, and come immediately to my class. Mr. Baxter, get yourself up off of the floor and follow me. I'd like to have a word with you in my office."

"Danny," Sam said as he gathered their things and headed with her to the nurse's office, "Lancer is going to have your head for what you did to Dash."

Danny was silent the whole walk, silently setting their books on a chair before lifting Sam onto the exam table. He looked at her, raising a hand to wipe the tears from her left eye, careful to avoid the tender flesh beneath it. "I wouldn't worry too much about Lancer or me, Sam. If there's one thing I learned about Mr. Lancer freshman year, the worst thing a man can do is abuse a woman. If there's anyone you should be concerned about suffering for this, it's Dash, and I'll tell you right now that it's a waste of your time to do so."

Sam smiled faintly, the grin coming off lopsided as she refused to use the left side of her mouth. Twining her fingers with Danny's, she leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. _You don't have to protect me or baby me like you are, Phantom. I can handle myself. I'm a big girl._

_I know, but as much as I care about you…I shouldn't have let him even touch you._ He leaned away and kissed her forehead, taking their books as he stepped out of the room just before the nurse entered. Dropping into one of the seats outside, he waited for the nurse to finish and let Sam go.

About twenty minutes later, Sam walked out with an ice pack held against her cheek. Danny turned away for a moment to put their books in his pack, and turned around once he'd gotten the bag back on. Taking her hand, he placed a soft kiss on the right side of her lips.

Sam pulled the ice pack away, and Danny's felt suddenly out of breath as the anger sparked anew inside of him, his eyes fluorescing green immediately. While the swelling seemed to have gone down a little, her cheek was starting to turn a nasty shade of bluish-purple.

"He is going to pay for this," he growled under his breath.

Gripping his hand tightly, Sam shook her head. _You doing anything won't make me any better any faster, and you can't protect me if you're in trouble with Lancer, too. Besides, if what you told me is true, Dash is already going to suffer for what he did._

"Short of a criminal battery charge, there isn't much that Lancer can do to appease me at the moment," he snarled, then exhaled sharply, looking at his feet. "But you're right," he acquiesced. Holding her close, he hugged her tightly, careful to avoid her damaged cheek, letting the anger slowly drain out of him.

Walking into class a short while later, Danny escorted Sam to her seat, passing her the textbook after he took his seat next to her, noting with relief that Dash was not in the room.

"Mr. Fenton, Ms. Manson, since you were not in class earlier, see me afterwards for tonight's homework assignment."

- - - - -

After the bell had sounded, Danny took Sam's book as she popped a fresh ice pack, wrapping it in a paper towel before pressing it to her cheek. Waiting for the rest of the class to leave, they walked up to Lancer's desk, where the vice principal was busy filling out tardy excuse slips for the two of them. Looking up once they were done, he handed them to the teens. "Tonight's homework assignment is a poem. It can be any length you want, as long as it is at least four lines long. Beyond that, every pair of lines must have end rhyme." He looked at Danny. "You are familiar with the term, Mr. Fenton?"

"Yes, Mr. Lancer. The last word in each of the two lines has to rhyme."

"Okay. They are due at the beginning of class tomorrow. Now, concerning what happened with Mr. Baxter earlier, who has been sent home, he mentioned that you had done something to Ms. Sanchez?"

"All I did was turn her down. In the past year or so, she's been trying to break up every couple in the school, and I wasn't about to let her try to do that with me and Sam, so I told her as much. Dash attacked me because Paulina stormed off, likely upset that someone like me turned her down."

"Someone like you?"

"Someone lower on the social hierarchy in school," Danny said. "She's got a very elitist attitude about where you are or aren't in terms of popularity."

Lancer nodded. "Cliques were always one thing I failed to understand, even when I was in high school, considering they weren't really evident in elementary schools and gone by the time people hit college. Now, off to class with you both."

Danny and Sam both smiled, heading off towards their lockers to switch textbooks.

- - - - -

Lunch came far too slowly for Danny, the last five minutes the worst of it. He and Sam did not have the same class right before lunch, and with the morning's events, he was concerned for her. Out the door the moment the bell rang, he was the first out of class, and he bolted for the lunchroom.

Swinging around the final corner, he nearly crashed into Sam, thankful that there was no one else in the hallway as he phazed through her. He turned just in time to see Sam's breath on the air. "What the heck?" he asked her.

She shivered slightly. "It got really cold when you phazed through, Danny," she explained.

Danny looked down slightly, a little embarrassed to know that using his ghost powers in human form still affected the temperature of the area around him. "Sorry."

Walking outside for lunch, Danny held Sam close, ignoring the snickers and snide comments that came from Paulina's general direction. Plopping down in the shade of one of the trees, Sam dropped into Danny's lap, curling into his chest, her eyes drifting shut as he held her close. Tucker was close behind, carrying not only his lunch, but also a tray with two bottles of water and a pair of fruit salads, which he passed to them as he joined them in the tree's shadow.

- - - - -

After school, Tucker headed for home, Danny and Sam heading for the Fenton house. Just before they could walk in, however, Jazz walked out.

"Danny, Mom and Dad got another lead and I'm headed back over to Rebecca's to get some more work done on my thesis. I'll be home around six." The redhead turned to Sam. "You doing okay?"

Sam nodded as she walked into the house, failing to notice the death stare that Jazz gave her brother.

Danny shook his head, figuring that once Sam left later that night, he was going to be in for one of the longest and most uncomfortable lectures ever, and his parents weren't going to have the pleasure of being the ones to administer it.

By the time Danny got up to his room, Sam had already started on her trigonometry homework, and he sat down next to her, pulling his notebook and a pencil out of his bag. With the recent decline in ghost attacks, Danny had finally been able to start catching up in his classes, more than able now to keep up with Sam.

- - - - -

Two hours later, Sam and Danny found themselves staring at empty sheets of paper, unable to come up with anything for Lancer's assignment.

Sighing heavily, Danny threw his notebook to the floor and slid off the bed.

Sam looked up as the paper impacted against the carpet, watching tentatively as Danny began slowly pacing his room. Slowly rising to her feet, she walked behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him against her, stopping his restless movement.

_Sam… _he thought, turning in her arms.

_We need to finish this assignment, Danny._ Her arms slid up around his neck, and she rested her head against his chest, her fingers toying with the hairs just above the nape of his neck.

He reached and turned Sam's face up to his, the bruise on her left cheek glaring at him. Reluctantly, he pulled her lips against his, gently rolling his tongue across her teeth, and he felt her lips curve up into a smile as he tenderly nipped her lower lip before pulling away.

Sam's eyes suddenly lit up, and she looked at Danny expectantly. "Hey, do you know any words that rhyme with book?"

"Hook, cook, look…why?"

Sam leaned over and picked his notebook off of the floor, straightening the few crumpled pages before handing it to him. "Lancer didn't say whether or not we could do this as a team project."

_Are you suggesting that we write the same poem? Lancer wouldn't…_

_No. We each write half of the poem and turn it in together._

The pair sat down again, notebooks side by side, the poem slowly beginning to form.


	12. Chapter XII

**Disclaimer:** _Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XII**

Sam had left just before six, her and Danny having finally finished their poem. He had interrupted quite often, his lips working their way across her neck, and though she said it helped in terms of inspiration, she kept pushing him away in an effort to get the work done sooner.

Danny closed the door, giving Sam a final wave goodbye. He'd offered to fly her home, but she'd replied with a soft shake of her head, saying that she'd figured it would be better if he were home because it sounded like Jazz wanted to talk to him. Though having totally missed the look she'd given, Sam let him know that the closer it got to six, the more he had begun seething with the nervousness she normally associated with him getting lectured by Lancer.

Sure enough, the minute Jazz walked in the front door, she headed upstairs and knocked on his bedroom door. The minute she started, Danny phazed into the kitchen, returning about five minutes later, once Jazz had stopped knocking and headed back down to the first floor. Once he was back in his room, he curled under the covers of his bed, snuggling into his pillow, smelling the faint scent of lavender on the fabric, and he smiled.

A few minutes later, Danny heard his sisters' footsteps on the stairs again, and he mumbled an incoherent reply when she knocked on his door, rolling his face into his pillow as she walked in.

"Danny, it's not even 6:30 yet, and you haven't had dinner. You are _not _tired."

Rolling again, he looked at her. "How would you know?"

Jazz's expression fell as she sat down on the foot of his bed. "So, I saw you and Sam at school today, and then only you and her come here after classes…"

Raising himself on his elbows, he looked at his sister, not liking where she was going. "What are you implying?"

"Nothing you haven't brought on yourself by the way you've been acting," she replied. "After all, you told me it caused a legal high."

"What are you figuring 'it' is, anyway?" The gears were turning wildly in his head, and he didn't like the conclusion he was coming to.

"Well, you and Sam were alone for three hours…" Jazz answered, her voice sounding as if she was trying to skirt around the idea.

It hit Danny what she was getting at. "Why would you even think that about us, Jazz? We're sixteen!"

Jazz bit her lower lip. "With the way you've been acting and the looks I saw you giving her," she said, her voice slowly rising, "not to mention the fact that you're tired now, what am I supposed to think – that she's been tutoring you in math?!"

The sarcasm is unbecoming of you," he said as he sat up. "And being the family genius, that was a pretty dumb guess as to what I was talking about. I said that it caused a high, not that I was doing something I have no business doing. Besides, isn't that illegal at our age anyway?"

"Then what…"

"I'm in love with her," he blurted out. "Happy? That's why I've been so weird lately. I finally managed to work up the courage to tell her." Sighing, he looked to the ceiling. "Besides that, she is actually tutoring me in math, at least when I get stuck. As for being in bed, on the very likely assumption that the call Mom and Dad got was fake, I'd like to get some rest so them harping about it over dinner doesn't give me the same headache I usually end up with." He dropped back down onto his mattress, curling into the pillow.

Jazz stood up and turned for the door, but couldn't make her legs move any more than that. "Danny, I…" she began before stopping abruptly, unsure of how to continue.

Danny opened one eye, eyebrow cocked in question.

"I need to talk to you about something else, Danny."

"Shoot."

"Mom and Dad are starting to wonder why your grades are going up so fast now. You seemed to be having a lot of problems for the first year and a half, but now, you're breezing through classes."

"So what? The work started getting easier, that's all."

Jazz turned around. "Danny, I was _in_ Lancer's American Literature class two years ago. His work _never_ gets easier. Besides, at least from what I've seen, your grades only started going up about a month and a half ago…right around when Dad shut down the Fenton Portal."

_What is she getting at?_ Danny wondered, unsettled. "And that has what to do with anything?"

"In the end, what I'm trying to say," she said, stumbling slightly over her words, "is that I…I've…I know about you, Danny. About what's been going on in your life, and why everything is happening like it is. I know that you're Inviso-Bill." Looking at her brother, the concern was etched deeply in her eyes.

"For the love of…" Danny said, exasperated. "Tucker was right. I _need_ a publicist!"

Jazz was shocked by his response. "Why?" she asked, moving to take a seat in the chair by his desk.

"Any number of things: the fact that I'm not evil, the fact that I'm only half-ghost, not full ghost, and the idea that my name isn't this ridiculous 'Inviso-Bill' pseudonym they've tagged me with," he said as he got out of bed. Standing, a pair of vibrant blue-white rings passed over his body, showing, for the second time in her life, the transformation that took place. Looking at her, his emerald eyes glowed softly. "My name is Danny Phantom."

Holding his hand against her lips as she tried to speak, he phazed through the floor, returning a moment later with two bottles of water, one of which he handed to her. Returning to his human form, he took a sip of his water before sitting down on his bed. "How long have you known?"

Jazz toyed with the cap to her bottle. "Since the incident with Ms. Spectra…" she stopped as she noticed his body tense up, the plastic of the bottle audibly letting her know how tight his grip had gotten. "Are you okay?" she asked, resting a hand on his shoulder, and his eyes snapped open, normally blue eyes glowing deep green. "What's wrong, Danny?"

"I don't really want to go into details about that, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring that ghost up too much. I nearly lost you to her."

"Lost me? How?"

Danny bowed his head, trying to fight the images that always haunted him about that day. "Spectra feeds off of negative emotions, and she and Bertrand were trying to get the entire school body depressed in some way, so the sparklers that were aimed at the stage were configured to vaporize you." Danny took a deep breath to steady himself. "Had I been any later getting to you than I was, you would have been killed, nothing but a pile of ashes on that stage, because of her."

"But you did save me."

"The 'what if' still haunts me," Danny replied, blinking until his eyes had returned to normal. "So, exactly when did you find out?"

"I went after you when you ran out of the Nasty Burger, and I saw you change in the alley. Sam and Tucker tried to cover for you."

"I guess they didn't do too good of a job."

Jazz shook her head. "Seeing is believing, Danny, and I know what I saw, even if I didn't want to accept it at first." Opening her water bottle, she took a small sip. "So, besides flying and going though solid objects, what can you do?"

"I'm a bit surprised you're even asking. I thought you hated anything about ghosts."

"That weekend you and Mom were away convinced me otherwise. A bunch of ghosts attacked the house and Dad and I spent the whole weekend fighting them." She smiled softly. "I was hoping the whole time that you'd come back to rescue us. Those animal ghosts were vicious."

"Wait…animal ghosts? Like what?"

"Moose, goats, mutant rabbits," she replied. "Stuff like that. Why?"

"Vlad," Danny muttered under his breath.

"What?"

Danny tossed the closed bottle onto his bed, his fists clenching as his eyes rolled over green. "You remember Vlad Masters, right? He's just like me, save for the fact that he's got two decades of experience over me. Well, that, and he actually does use his powers to his own ends. He's been trying to kill Dad for as long as I've known him, and he's the reason behind a good number of the ghost attacks here, that weekend included. Even the symposium we were invited to was part of his plan to try and convince Mom and me to live with him."

"Why would he want that?"

"He's still madly in love with Mom, even after all these years, and he figures the only way that he'll ever gain her affections is if Dad dies."

Jazz shivered. "So he really was hitting on Mom at the reunion. No wonder I didn't really like him."

Danny looked at his sister, a spark erupting in his right hand before slowly moving over his body, transforming him once more. "The room is going to get a bit colder, since my ghost form naturally drops room temperature. As for my powers, there's the transformation, flight, intangibility, invisibility," he said, trying to remember what other powers he had. "I can split my body to dodge attacks," he said, his upper and lower halves only connected by a vague ghostly tendril. "Past that, I can manipulate ectoplasm from anything like weapons to energy balls to shields, depending on the needs. The only major difference between ghosts and me, though, is what happens if I get hit. Normally, they can reconstruct their ectoplasm, at least as far as I can tell, but I bleed the stuff."

"You have ghost blood?"

"Basically. The only other thing of note is the ghost sense I have, which is when I can see my breath, regardless of the temperature. It lets me know of the nearby presence of a ghost." Jazz nodded slowly, and he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was valiantly trying to process all of the information.

"So, how long, exactly, have you been hiding this from the family?"

"Since the week before I started freshman year."

"Wow. I bet Dad's inventions don't make that easy."

Danny laughed. "No kidding. I'm just lucky that he and Mom are a little clueless about why their equipment responds to me. In the end, I expected it of Dad, but Mom not realizing it surprised me, though that is a very huge blessing."

"Why?"

"Mom is the only one in the family who has ever pointed a weapon at me, and it just so happened to be the Fenton Bazooka, at point blank range, during the ghost invasion."

"She tried to kill you? I'm actually surprised that she didn't recognize you."

"I know what you mean. It's had me confused since day one, seeing as my facial features and hair style are the exact same, though my eye and hair color is different. I used to think a mother could always recognize her children."

"Mom just isn't able to think along the lines of a mother when she's out hunting, especially when the target just threatened the mayor's life."

"Jazz, I told you…"

"I know that you're not evil. Mom doesn't. I was just making a point."

Danny leaned forward, hugging his sister as he returned to his human form. "Thanks, Jazz. Thank you for being there for me."

"What else is a big sister for, if not covering for you?" she answered with a smile as she returned the embrace.

The two turned as they heard the front door click open, and Danny dropped back onto his bed as they heard the heavy steps of their father head for the kitchen, the lighter footsteps of their mother climbing the stairs. A light knock on Danny's door was followed by Maddie sticking her head in the room. "Oh, sorry, sweetie. Did I interrupt a session?"

"Mom, I don't psychoanalyze my own family. Danny and I were just talking?"

"About what?"

Danny's eyes shot to his sister, panic rising within them.

"Danny finally got a girlfriend," she replied. "He was just asking for some female advice on how to not mess things up with her."

Maddie couldn't help but smile, running downstairs with an edgy, cheerful giggle. A moment later, both parents were in Danny's room, Jack giving Danny one of his fatherly noogies, Maddie still unable to stop smiling.

"So, Danny, who's the lucky gal I get to blither on about ghosts to?"

"Dad, you've blithered enough to her in the last ten years. I think Sam could really use a break from all of that."

Both parents suddenly fell mute, then said in unison, "You and Sam are finally going out?!"

Danny blushed at the comment._ I don't know what's funnier, the fact that Sam's mother wasn't the only one who figured we'd end up together, or the fact that they pulled a lovebird's moment. _"I really thought Sam and I were the only ones that did that."

"Well, Danny, why don't you invite her over for dinner and she and I can talk all about…"

"Dad, don't you dare. If we're going to invite Sam over, can't you talk about something other than ghosts for once?"

Jack stepped back, surprised by how much Jazz was stepping into the situation for her little brother. "Jazz, have you been possessed?"

"Dad!" the teens yelled together.

Maddie pushed Jack out of the room. "You're still free to call Sam over for dinner. I was planning on meatloaf."

Danny blinked. "Mom, Sam's a vegetarian."

"Oh," Maddie said. "You know, she's over so little that I completely forgot. I'll see what I can put together, then. Any complaints against vegan-friendly lasagna?"

Jazz and Danny both shook their heads.

"Okay, then," she said, turning and heading down to the kitchen.

As the door closed behind his mother, Danny looked to his sister. "There are three more powers I just thought about. I have a telepathic link with Sam, I can possess people at will, though it's referred to as overshadowing, and can do this." He levitated his phone into his hand, pressing the speed dial for Sam's cell.

- - - - -

Dinner had gone by uneventfully, save for the couple of times Jack had been starting towards the subjects of ghosts, stopped only by Maddie kicking him in the shins. Danny and Jazz had found it hilarious, knowing full well by Maddie's innocent smile what had happened.

Just after they'd finished eating, Jazz excused herself to go to the bathroom, the phone in the kitchen ringing a short while later. Standing, Maddie picked up the phone, her eyes lighting up the way they usually did when one of _those_ calls came in, and Jack was out of seat the moment he noticed. The two of them, plates left on the table, hurried out the RV, shouting as they left that there had been a lead across town.

Danny and Sam both looked at Jazz when she returned, her cell phone still in hand. "I'm going to be in so much trouble if we ever get caller ID."

"What was that for?" Sam asked.

Jazz looked at her brother. "I figured it would be hard to continue our discussion with Mom and Dad still here."

Sam looked to Jazz, then Danny. "What discussion?"

Danny nodded at his sister, grabbing both her and Sam before phazing up to the room, Sam obviously flustered by his actions as she started coughing heavily as they cleared the floor. Unbeknownst to the siblings, she was, in fact, choking on the mist she had been trying to swallow.

"Since when did your sister know about you?"

"Since the incident behind the Nasty Burger you and Tucker were so kind to not inform me about."

Sam's eyes shot wide. "Oops," she said softly. "I take it our cover story didn't work?"

"Jazz isn't as dense as Dash or Paulina, so she saw clear through what you were doing."

Sam shrugged. "So what were you talking about?"

The trio spent the next hour going over the details of many of Danny's escapades, not really caring that they spilled about the fake-out make-out in the park or Danny's particular response to Ember's love spell. Jazz had started laughing when it got to the part about the 'Sam shrine', ending up on the floor with a severe stomach cramp. Afterwards, Danny flew Sam home, returning to his room, and upon finding it empty, collapsed onto his bed and passed out.


	13. Chapter XIII

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XIII**

A loud buzzing woke Sam from her deep sleep, her eyes slowly opening to find a pair of sky blues staring at her. She yelped slightly, startled, and Danny laughed lightly.

"You might want to wake up, Sam. We've got school today."

"What time is it?" She asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

Danny smiled nervously. "You've got about twenty minutes before the first bell."

"What!? Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

Danny stepped back. "I just got here. I'm sorry, I should have called."

_It's okay. Let me just get an outfit together and we'll be out of here,_ she said as she walked into her closet.

_You wearing those heels again?_

_Nah…well, maybe. You want me to?_

_If you're okay with wearing them. The feminine look…well, the way you do it, looks great on you._

Danny could hear a lot of commotion from the bathroom, the rustle of fabric under the sound of running water. About five minutes later, Sam's voice drifted out to him. "Danny, should I wear my hair up or down?"

"Don't really care, though I prefer down."

A few more moments passed before Sam stepped out wearing a black blouse and a pair of low-rise black jeans with a slight flare. The shirt had only three buttons, the lower half of the shirt shamelessly flaunting her abdomen.

Danny's eyes scanned over her body, finally resting on her eyes, and he felt himself drawn in by them, his fingers running through her dark tresses as he got closer.

"I love this new look. It's feminine, yet individual and still you." He smirked slyly, "And it leaves just enough to the imagination," whispering into her ear as he held her close.

Sam snuggled into him, silently thanking him for the compliment. "Come on, Danny. We're going to be late for school."

Danny grabbed her hand as the two walked out and headed down the stairs, Danny grabbing all of Sam's books from her as they stepped onto the front porch, stopping for only a moment to put them in his backpack before shouldering the bag and heading off with her into the bright May morning.

- - - - -

"Danny, nobody asked me last night about the…uh…" she stated, pointing to her cheek. Apparently, and somewhat thankfully, Danny hadn't noticed that the bruise was already starting to heal, and the swelling had gone down considerably overnight. "What happened?"

Danny released her hand as the two walked up the school steps, his hand sliding around her waist. "Jazz and I explained what had happened before you showed up. I didn't think you wanted to spend dinner with us with everyone staring at that."

Sam smiled as they got to their lockers, Danny pulling her English book and homework out and setting them aside, giving her the remainder of her books. He tossed whatever he didn't need into the locker, hastily shutting the door and heading to Lancer's class.

The couple walked into Lancer's class just as the tardy bell rang, taking their seats, both of them noticing that Dash wasn't in class, wondering why his suspension was already enacted with so little of school left that year.

Lancer ordered all of the papers to the front, and one by one, the flutter of paper ending with Lancer holding a small pile of notebook paper. After a few minutes of counting the papers, Lancer instructed the class to read silently for the remainder of class, as he wanted to both go over the papers and get some work done on their upcoming finals. A few groans were heard throughout the class at the mention of final exams, though Sam was surprised that she caught no such complaint from Danny.

_Hey, Phantom, are you okay? You usually whine about the tests._

_I'm fine, Sam. If you haven't noticed, with next to no ghosts around, I have more time to study. I think I've got this one pretty much in the bag._ He smiled. _We might want to at least look like we're reading. Last thing we need is Lancer wondering what the heck we're up to._

Sam took his hint and grabbed her English book.

Danny did the same, balancing the book on its spine and letting it fall open. He had to flip back a couple of pages, but found the beginning of "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". _Hey, Sam, page five-forty-nine. I love this one._

_You're kidding, right?_

_No, why?_

_This has got to be one of my all-time favorite works._

_Now you're kidding._

_Nope._

_Want to read it together? You know, trade off on lines?_

_Sure, but why?_

_I don't fully understand the language. It's a bit on the wrong side of archaic, if you know what I mean._

_Okay._

Sam skimmed the pages, trying to find the break between the first and second parts. _Okay…we trade off by stanza._

_Sure._

The rest of the class went on basically uneventfully, and Sam and Danny got through the first three parts of poem before the bell rang. As the class got up to leave, Lancer's voice cut in. "Daniel, Samantha, I'd like to speak to both of you."

Both of them stopped and waited as the class emptied out, then walked up to their teacher.

"What's the matter?" Sam asked.

"I am interested as to why the both of you understood what I meant by end rhyme and still failed to follow that simple rule with last night's homework assignment."

Danny shook his head, smiling. "You never said that we couldn't work on it as a team, so Sam and I worked on the poem together. You have to read a line from hers first, and then a line from mine."

Lancer grabbed a ruler from his desk drawer and read their work, using the ruler to keep up with where he should have been reading. Hearing a slight pop, he looked up to find Danny shaking an ice pack to activate it, wrapping it in a paper towel before leaning over to press the item against Sam's cheek, a weak smile finding its way to his face as she winced at the cold sting. In just that simple action, Lancer saw just how much of what they had written was plainly evident, a rare smile creeping onto his face before he turned his attention back to their papers.

"Well, I have to say that I am rather impressed by this, considering most everyone else just wrote four-liners, and I wonder if I am correct in assuming this to be more than just something to turn in for a grade."

Danny took Sam's hand in his gently, resting his head against hers. "It's true."

Lancer looked at the young couple silently as Sam removed the ice pack, allowing Danny to look over her injury. He smiled at her, obviously happy that the swelling was almost gone, the bruise healing well.

"Is that it?" Sam piped up.

"Yes. Let me write you both passes to your next class."

- - - - -

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Before they knew it, Sam, Tucker and Danny were out on the sidewalk in front of the school. Tucker had said his hi's and bye's and then darted off for home, saying that he was working on something with his mom. Danny looked at him, part of him surprised by his friends' willingness to pass up on hanging out to help his mom, but let him go without saying anything.

Sam, on the other hand, knew that Tucker was going home to sleep. He'd already figured that he couldn't afford to fall asleep with Sam in the Ghost Zone and was going to be wide awake during her trip. Danny had asked her during lunch if it was okay for him to stay at her place for a while after school, and she had agreed, hoping that the time she'd spend with him wouldn't allow him to read into what she and Tucker were planning for later that night.

- - - - -

They'd breezed through their homework, grateful that Lancer hadn't assigned anything for the first time that year. Afterwards, Danny had decided to take a short break and lay down on Sam's bed.

He had fallen asleep in short order, and the next thing he knew, Sam was leaning over him, her warm lips pressing against his. He sat up as she moved away, refusing to break the kiss. That is, until the point where he caught a healthy whiff of pizza. Pulling away, he looked down at the pizza that sat at the foot of the bed, still steaming. He reached for a slice, stopping just short and asking Sam if it was okay. She nodded as he grabbed a piece and nearly swallowed it whole.

"You're hungry, huh?"

"Famished." Danny stopped as he bit into a second piece. "Weird. This doesn't taste like the cheese pizza my mom usually orders."

"That's because I have it specialty-made with soy cheese. You know I don't do dairy."

Danny gobbled down the last of his second slice. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm not really that hungry."

Danny leaned over and wrapped one arm around her, the other gliding over her exposed stomach.

Sam gasped, then gagged as she held back the telltale sign of her ghost powers. Looking down, she found half of Danny's arm in her abdomen, and she could feel his ethereal fingers searching.

"Your stomach is completely empty," he commented, pulling his arm free. "You need to eat."

"That is utterly disturbing, Danny," Sam commented as Danny reached over for another slice of pizza. "Seriously, though, I'm not…" She found herself unable to speak as Danny pushed himself against her, forcing her down against the bed, his lips caught on hers. She smiled lightly at his affection, knowing that he was just looking out for her. She pushed him up when she felt a tear drop onto her face. Looking at him, she noticed that his eyes had become moist and starting towards red. "Danny, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to see you hurt, Sam. I never want to see anyone else harm you, but I especially don't want to see you hurt yourself. Why aren't you eating?"

"Danny…" she began, but found herself silenced once more as Danny ripped a small piece of pizza from the slice in his hand, shoving it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, finally managing to swallow.

"Sam, what's wrong? You're seething nervousness, and I don't like it. What's got you so worried that you can't eat?"

Sam knew that she couldn't tell Danny what was really bothering her, but lying to him felt just as bad. "Finals are coming up," she finally admitted.

"You honestly can't be worried about finals. You ace those things asleep."

"Shows how much you know. I do study, but I still don't think I'm totally read for the chemistry final, and I still haven't figured out what song I'm singing for chorus finals."

Danny looked over her for a moment before resting a hand on her head.

Sam could feel his grip on her mind, and forced him out, blocking him from reading her.

"Sam, what…"

"Danny, please. It's just that I don't know if I'm ready."

Danny sighed as he pulled Sam into his embrace. "Will you at least eat, though? For me?"

Sam couldn't deny him, his voice dropping to a low and seductive, yet pleading, whisper. Reaching over, she grabbed a slice of the now-cooled pizza and bit in.

Danny laughed lightly when he heard her stomach growl. "So much for you not being hungry."


	14. Chapter XIV

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XIV**

Danny hadn't left until around nine that night, and Sam had waited over an hour before she started getting ready.

Looking at her clock, Sam noticed that she still had an hour and a half before she had to meet up with Tucker. Closing the blinds and locking her bedroom door, she closed her eyes and concentrating on going ghost. When she opened her eyes, she looked into the mirror, a bit surprised to see that the changes she'd made in her dream had actually stuck. Closing her eyes once more, she concentrated on changing the look of her boots. She'd been fortunate that Danny hadn't noticed them in their dream, but she didn't want to risk her luck not holding out should she bump into Danny again tonight, knowing her boots to be a dead give-away as to her real identity. Looking down as she opened her eyes, she smiled, her combat boots now a pair of silver-white, knee-high boots with a half-inch heel. She bent down and adjusted the boots, zipping them up over her pants legs.

She spent the remaining time she had drilling, making sure that all of her powers were working properly. Around 11:40, she realized that here was one ghost trick that she'd yet to attempt. With barely a thought towards the goal, Sam found herself standing between two duplicates.

_If our powers are this strong, I wonder if I can control them,_ she thought. Danny had told her about Vlad's ability to form-split, remembering that he'd said that all four forms could generally only make the same, or close to the same, movements, at least as far as he'd seen. She began to hover over her floor while focusing on her doppelgangers. Though it took some time, she was finally able to get them to move independently, one waling over to her bed and sitting down, the other grabbing a book from her backpack and flipping through it.

A sharp buzzing sound snapped Sam back into reality, and she summoned her duplicates back to her as she switched off her alarm. Phazing through her bedroom wall, Sam sped off towards Tucker's house.

- - - - -

Tucker jumped as someone began tapping on his window. Looking, he saw nothing, but began shivering as the temperature of his room took a sudden nosedive. "Danny?" he called out.

"Honestly, Tucker," Sam replied, her voice echoing lightly, "what would Danny be doing here?"

Tucker scowled. "And what if it _had_ been Danny? Don't you think he would've been a little bit suspicious if it was your name I'd called out?"

"Point taken," she replied as she materialized, giggling as Tucker's eyes bugged out.

"Whoa. Who are you and what have you done with Sam?" he asked.

"Still me."

"You definitely don't look like yourself." Tucker looked at her again. "Danny's gonna have a heart attack when he sees you." Leaning over, he grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

"You ready to go?"

Tucker nodded, and Sam grabbed his arm, the two phazing out into the night sky.

- - - - -

Sam and Tucker had landed a block away from Danny's house, Sam returning to her human form to avoid triggering Danny's ghost sense. Walking up to the house, the two crouched along one wall as Sam phazed them through it and into the basement. As they became tangible once again, Tucker immediately started digging around in his backpack, pulling out a flashlight, as well as two small pieces of metal.

Tucker gave the small bits of metal to Sam, who replied with a silent stare and a raised eyebrow.

"I got them from a friend online. I explained we had a surprise for a friend and needed a covert communication system. This piece," he said, pointing to the larger of the two, "is a microphone that you can clip between your two back teeth. Either side is fine."

Sam slipped the mike into place, the unit clicking softly as she did so. "I'm guessing that this is the earpiece," she commented, holding up the smaller piece.

Tucker nodded and pulled out his PDA, the softly illuminated screen bright in the dark basement. "And your mike is transmitting perfectly."

Sam looked at the PDA's screen, noticing that her last statement had been entered onto the screen. Tucker turned the PDA back, tapping softly against the screen for a moment, and a soft, mechanized voice sounded in her ear, "Is the earpiece working?" to which Sam nodded.

"I've got the PDA on silent mode so that the beeps and you talking don't alert anyone." Looking around, he noticed a shadowy space between one of the computer banks and a nearby shelving unit. Sitting down in the small space, he gave Sam a thumbs-up that it would work as a great hiding spot. "I'll stay here so that no one sees me."

"Just for good measure, though…" Sam raised a hand, and five boxes stacked in front of him, hiding him so that if, by chance, someone came downstairs and turned on the basement light, he would remain unseen. A brief flash of blue light filled the room and Sam, now in ghost form, bent down and plugged in the Portal. As she reached for the nearby Thermos, a voice stopped her, a wisp of blue mist gliding out of her mouth.

"So you're real, huh? And here I thought you were just some part of one of our dreams."

Sam turned slowly, her teal eyes meeting with a pair of glowing emerald ones. "Young warrior!" she said, surprise in her voice. "I should say the same for you."

Danny walked up to her, hugging her lightly. "I didn't get a chance to thank you for saving us from Skulker. Dream or not, he's still dangerous, and seeing how Sam and I seem to be affected by our dreams, it's all the more appreciated." He held out a hand. "I'm Danny Phantom. You?"

"I…I…" she stammered. "Regrettably, I am but a nameless wanderer. I have no name."

Danny looked at her. "Really?"

"I am like you, a guardian of the humans who my brethren would seek to harm. I protect them as you do, and it was for that purpose that I activated your…Ghost Portal, I believe you call it."

Danny reached over and grabbed the Thermos she'd been reaching for when he had startled her and handed her the metallic tube. "Alright, but I have to unplug it after you leave. You understand?"

"It cannot be left active," she answered with a nod. Turning towards the Portal, she was stopped just short of the entrance as Danny's hand caught her arm.

Her eyes met his and he smiled softly. "How about your name be what I called you the first time I ever met you?"

"Angel?"

"Why not? I think it fits, seeing as you look sort of like one, and you are a protector of humanity."

She nodded, allowing herself to drift into the Ghost Zone, Danny reaching out a hand as she cleared the veil of green miasma, and the cords snapped apart, the room going dark as he phazed back upstairs.

As soon as he was gone, Tucker began writing furiously on his PDA.

Sam's earpiece hummed for a second before the voice asked, "What was all that about?"

"Danny and I had the same dream a few nights back. He saw my ghost form then, but he doesn't know that it was me."

A minute or so passed before Tucker replied. "I will say this – as insane as you are, you played it off real well back here with Danny. Are you positive that he doesn't know, though?"

"Did it really sound as if he knew who I was, Tuck? Besides, even before we became telepaths, we were naturally good at reading one another." There was a short pause. "I'll get back to you in a little while, Tuck. I have to find this wolf."

Speeding off through the Ghost Zone, unsure of where to begin looking, Sam flew aimlessly, her eyes scanning every landmass in the area. She had considered asking for directions, but knowing how many ghosts reacted, she changed her mind, going invisible mere seconds before a ghost would fly past.

- - - - -

A little more than an hour had passed, and Sam was started to get discouraged. Not only had she not found a lead, but she was slowly becoming aware that she'd gotten a little bit lost in the Zone. Just as she was about to turn back, a white form tore past, a small line of ectoplasm trailing behind. Looking around, she found no trace of any other ghosts in the area, turning and flying towards the form that had passed her. Remaining invisible, she flew down to the ghost, who had landed rather ungracefully on a floating landmass far below. A gasp escaped her as she found Walker in a huddled lump, the left arm of his immaculately kept suit now stained a sickly, glowing green. Quickly turning visible, she knelt beside him, setting the Thermos next to her. "Walker, what happened?"

"Who are you?"

"I am Angel…Angel Phantom."

Walker cringed as a coughing spurt overtook him. "Any relation to the ghost punk, Danny Phantom?"

Sam thought for a moment before replying. "Actually, sort of. I know him."

"Good. That gives me a bit of leverage to get you to help me. I'll toss out the warrant for his arrest if you destroy me."

"What?" Sam replied, shocked. "If you're that worried about the cut on your arm, I can find a way to take care of it."

"No," he said, coughing again. "I'm beyond saving," he told her, rolling onto his back, exposing to Sam his other wound, and when it came into sight, only the fact she was in ghost form kept her from vomiting. Part of his jacket was tattered and shredded, a good deal of his right side missing. For a moment, she wondered how she had missed the blood, but noticed that, as soon as it hit the ground, the ectoplasm was absorbed.  
"Who did this to you?"

"Skulker…but I'm not so sure that it was him. Something drove him mad, seeing as that idiotic hunter knows better than to get anywhere near me…hunting without a license," Walker growled, the sound devolving into a groan. "Please, you have to destroy me."

"How?" Sam asked. "Ghosts can't die."

"Apparently, you're new to the Zone," Walker commented. "Lesson One, new kid – we can die. Don't forget that. We're as weak in the Zone as humans are in their world." He began coughing again. "In order for a ghost to pass on, it has to…flash over, if you will, from this realm. A slow, drifting death like I'm going to suffer otherwise is going to leave me forever lost and drifting in Oblivion, unable to move past the pain of a second death." His eyes snapped shut as a wave of pain crested over him.

Sam stood, allowing herself to hover above Walker, grabbing the Thermos as she ascended. "I'm sorry," she said as she closed her eyes, the ectoplasm building around her hands. Slowly, it began to gather around her entire body, turning from green to brilliant white. Finally opening her eyes as her power hit its peak, she saw Walker summon the warrant for Danny and vaporize it, closing her eyes as she fired the withheld energy downward, Walker's last words drifting to her as he faded away.

"Don't be sorry, Angel Phantom. You saved me."

Sam floated there for a moment, the space where Walker had been now devoid, and she looked at her hands, suddenly very afraid of the power she wielded.

"What happened?" her earpiece asked, snapping her out of her trance.

"I killed him, Tucker. I killed him. Walker's…gone," she finally managed. "I thought these powers were a gift, but now…I don't know." If Tucker would have had the PDA's sound on, he would have caught just how empty and monotone Sam's voice had gone.

"Not to be a jerk, but you do have something to take care of."

"Don't you get it? Ghost or not, I just murdered someone!"

There was an extensive pause before a response came. "I was following your conversation, or at least what of Walker's actually transmitted, and as far as I can tell, you did what he asked. He wanted to die, and you did the right thing, even if being an angel of mercy isn't exactly kosher."

"I know." Sam was on the verge of tears now. "I still don't feel good about what I've done, though. Not to mention I don't have a clue what he was talking about with Skulker."

"Now that I missed. The message didn't transmit clear."

"I'll explain later, Tuck. Right now, I have to find that wolf." She turned her head, her eyebrow furled in thought for a second. "Never mind. I was thinking about wishing for Desiree to be here, but I'll find that mutt on my own."

"You said wish?" a voice asked from behind Sam, and she turned to find Desiree looking at her expectantly.

"I only seek to find the ghost wolf residing in this Zone. His presence is needed in the human world."

"Why is it, then, that you have the ghost child's imprisoning weapon?"

"I took it from his home so that I could gather the wolf. Now, if you would like to remain outside of this," Sam menaced with the Thermos, "you will direct me to where the wolf resides."

"The dog-like one or the werewolf?"

"The dog," Sam answered, ire evident in her voice at Desiree's delay.

"Should you but wish for him," Desiree said, obviously backing away from Sam in fear, "I can transport him before us."

"Then I wish that the wolf was here," Sam said.

"As you have wished it, so shall it be," Desiree intoned, flying off for parts of the Zone as the wolf appeared from nowhere, soon caught within the blue light of the Fenton Thermos and captured.

Sam turned, flying back towards what she figured was the way she'd come. As she neared the area around where the Portal had been, she began to slow down. "Tucker, get your things together, get out of your hiding spot and open the Portal. We've got to blaze out of there before Danny realizes we're there."

The reply came a moment later as the Portal flared to life. Checking that the Thermos was secure on the makeshift clip she'd morphed part of her belt into while waiting, Sam blasted out of the Portal, telekinetically unplugging the cords as she grabbed Tucker and phazed out of Danny's house.


	15. Chapter XV

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XV**

Danny stood outside of Sam's, waiting for her to come downstairs. He rocked on his heels, wondering what she'd be wearing, the memory of how good she looked in the last few outfits still fresh in his mind. Moments later, she stepped out, dressed in a black halter top and a black denim skirt. Danny noticed her new boots, smiling – they were black, laced combat boots, but done with a more feminine flair and with a two-inch heel.

Sam giggled at the spaced-out look on Danny's face. "What's going on in that mind of yours?"

Still mostly out of it, he replied, "You're hot," the words dragged out much in the same fashion that Paulina's name had once been. A gentle kiss snapped him back to reality, and he pulled off his backpack and opened it, handing Sam a small amethyst bundle.

Sam took it, allowing the bundle to unfold, and she shook her head, checking a laugh, as she put her books into the new backpack he'd bought for her. "You are such a loon, Danny."

"I love you, too," he answered, taking her hand as they headed towards school.

- - - - -

The day had gone by quite uneventfully, considering Dash was going to be out of school until finals.

By the time lunch had rolled around, Sam noticed that both boys weren't exactly all there. Danny hadn't touched his food, a spacey look in his eyes once more. Tucker, having finished off a triple-layer burger, was barely able to keep his head off of the table, and had, in fact, passed out a few minutes earlier.

"Danny, are you feeling okay? You were avoiding me all through class today."

Danny looked up, suddenly snapped out of his thoughts. "I'm fine. I've just been thinking."

"About what?"

"I had…another encounter with the ghost girl from our dream."

"You had _another _dream last night?"

Danny shook his head, having caught the worried disbelief in Sam's voice. "No. It turns out that Angel's real. She was at my house last night, needing to get into the Ghost Zone." He smirked at the thought. "Turns out that she's a fighter just like I am, protecting the humans from any ghosts that attack."

Sam fell silent, her eyes reading him. "There's something else."

_You're going to pummel me if I tell you._

_Now why on earth would I do something like that?_

"It's not that easy to explain, Sam, especially not to you." Danny bent over, his head making a rather loud thud against the table, and he sighed softly as Sam's hand caressed his back.

_What's bothering you, Phantom?_

Danny flinched, picking up his head long enough to turn towards Sam, his eyes glistening green. _You say my name just like she does. Maybe…maybe that's why this is happening._

_Why what is happening?_

_I think…it wasn't so bad for me the first time that I met her. That time, it was like running into an old friend you hadn't seen in years. But, last night…finding out that she's _real_…I'm scared. Some part of me, maybe even the fact that I'm half-ghost …is attracted to her._ His eyes shot wide, realizing how much he'd just admitted to Sam.

Sam looked at her hands. _Who is it that you love more, Danny?_

_I don't…I don't think I love her. It's not like when I'm with you when I'm around her, but in the same respect…_ Danny slid closer to Sam and pulled her against him, resting his head on her shoulder. _She puts me so much in mind of you for some reason._ He ran his fingers gently along her face, running softly into her soft locks, unconsciously twining into the strands. _You're the one person in my life that I can't resist, and she's somehow so much like you that fighting her makes me feel like I'm trying to push you away at the same time I'm actually trying to do so to her. I don't want to ruin what we have right now, but it's just…_

"You don't want to lose me because of her.

Danny could only nod.

The bell rang, and Sam leaned over to poke Tucker awake. As they reached their lockers, Sam took Danny into her arms, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. _Danny, we've survived through worse. We'll manage this just fine._

- - - - -

The trio had gone to Sam's to do their homework and watch a couple of movies. Tucker still hadn't fully recovered from the night before, and as such dozed off about halfway through their trigonometry homework and again during the chemistry assignment. After falling asleep on one of the basement chairs, he had opted to head home.

They'd only gotten a few minutes into the next movie before Sam noticed that Danny had started spacing out again, and after a short while, she walked over to the chair he was in. Gently, she sat down in his lap, one hand twining with his, the other resting softly against his cheek. Sighing, she laid her head against his shoulder.

Danny suddenly snapped back to reality, his body jerking slightly.

"You okay?"

Danny shook his head, his free arm wrapping around her waist and holding her close. "She's still haunting me, Sam. There's something about Angel that's driving me insane just because I can't figure it out. Something about her that I can't place…"

Sam stood slowly. "I have to go get something from my room. I'll be right back."

Danny nodded as she headed upstairs, again staring blankly into space.

- - - - -

Once in the safe confines of her room, Sam pulled out her cell and called Tucker.

After a few rings Tucker picked up, sounding as if Sam had just woken him. "Yeah?"

"The plan is getting moved up to today, Tucker. Danny's really suffering because of Angel."

"You realize that I can't be there, right? I'm still out of it with the little bit of sleep I've gotten since last night."

"That's okay. I can take care of things from here. I just wanted to let you know. Take it easy, Tucker." That said, she clicked her phone shut, grabbing the Thermos out from under her bed, throwing on a pair of black sneakers. As she reached the stairs, she telekinetically triggered the doorbell.

_You getting that, Sam?_

_Sure, Danny. Be downstairs in a minute._

Sam walked up to the door and opened it. "Hello?" she called, figuring this would be the only way to keep Danny from getting suspicious. "Who's there?" she called, stepping out onto the porch, then down the stairs. She popped the lid off the Thermos and hit the release button, and seconds later, the ghost wolf was standing a few feet from her. Focusing her powers, she held the wolf at bay, guiding the Thermos back into her room through the open window.

Taking a deep breath, she let out a blood-curdling scream, then began running as she released her grip on the wolf.

- - - - -

Danny snapped up in the chair, the sound of Sam's scream echoing in his ears. Immediately, he was up the stairs and at the front door, catching sight of the ghost wolf chasing Sam down the street. Switching forms, Danny flew up to Sam's bedroom, hoping that it wouldn't take long to find her Thermos. Grabbing it off of the floor, he sped down the street, losing sight of the wolf as it turned the corner, heading for the park.

By the time that Danny caught up to them, he found the wolf sniffing and pawing at the ground, Sam nowhere to be found. He tried finding her mentally, but couldn't locate her anywhere. _Sam, _he called out with his mind. _Sam, where are you?_

Danny fought to suppress the urge to tear the ghost to pieces, but before he even had a chance to move, a white blur shot out of the trees, knocking the wolf about thirty feet away. Danny pulled the lid off of the Thermos and aimed it at the wolf, a form moving out of the way of the blue beam. Landing on the ground, Danny slid the strap of the Thermos over his shoulder and looked up, his eyes meeting with the teal ones of the young ghost who had been haunting his thoughts as of late.

"Angel, what are you doing here? And where's Sam?"

"Your beloved is safe, young Phantom."

At the sound of Sam's pet name for him, he flinched.

"As for my purpose here, it was the same as yours," she said, touching the Thermos.

Danny smiled lightly. "Thanks. Could you let me know where…" His words were cut off as something grabbed his wrists, sending a shockwave of ectoplasmic energy through him, and he fell to his knees. Angel walked up to him, sliding two fingers under his chin and forcing him to look at her as she bent down on one knee in front of him. Snapping his head to the side, he found that a duplicate of Angel was the one holding him. She forced his head back, and Danny suddenly found himself powerless against the alluring gaze of her eyes.

She blinked suddenly, one side of her mouth curving into a wicked half-smile. "I thought I saw as much last night."

"What?"

"You're _attracted_ to me, Danny Phantom. I can see it so clearly in your eyes."

Danny forced himself to look away, his body heat rising as Angel moved closer, her icy breath dancing over his cheeks. "I need to find Sam."

"Don't you want to stay here with me? Why will you leave me when you know I offer something that the human girl doesn't?"

"You can't give me honest, long-term love, Angel. Not yet, at least. We _just_ met."

"You speak as if you know me, yet you cannot even come to terms with what your own heart is yearning for. I could give you more than the human girl could ever hope to."

"I love Sam more than anyone else, Angel, and you can't change that fact, no matter how hard you try. I'm not going to stay here and be forced to choose you because you _want_ me to."

"And what if I said that you didn't _have_ to choose?"

"Don't you dare imply that option, Angel. I would never allow you to overshadow Sam for the sake of being with me," he growled, agitation clear in his voice.

Angel moved closer to Danny, her teal orbs finding his emerald ones yet again. "I was never planning on allowing you the _freedom_ to choose, Phantom," Angel mocked back, leaning closer still.

Danny looked into her eyes for a second before their lips met, and as they parted, Danny hung his head in shame. "You've forced me to be unfaithful to the woman I gave my heart to. You made me betray Sam's trust in me." Fighting back tears, he glared at the ghost before him, "You're no angel to me. You're nothing more than hell-spawn."

"You didn't betray me, Danny."

Danny looked up, confusion evident on his features. His eyes widened as the doppelganger vanished and two bands of blue light passed over the ghost, revealing a person he knew all too well.

"Sam?!"


	16. Chapter XVI

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XVI**

Whether by his own will or the shock he'd just gotten, Danny reverted back to his human form, both he and Sam as still as statues for quite a while.

Finally finding his voice, Danny forced out one word – "Why?"

_I didn't know how else to tell you._

_That's not what I mean, Sam. Why did you do this to yourself? You've already seen what being a half-ghost has done to me._ Blinking, realization set in. _Is _this _why you were passed out in the basement!?_

_I know what it's done to you because you've been doing this on your own, and yes, that's the real reason I'd been in the basement. Somehow, I got caught in a waking dream, and I saw the accident. I didn't want to see you carrying the burden of both lives on your own anymore._

_Sam…_ Danny stepped forward and took her in his arms. "You didn't…I…I…" He blinked back tears. "Thank you, Sam."

"For what?"

"You gave up part of your life…for…me." Tears of joy began to trickle down his cheeks, and Sam wiped them away. "I could never ask for anyone better than you, Angel, and I'll do whatever I can to help you…learn and get used to your powers…" He blushed softly, "Not that you aren't impressive enough with them already."

As they began walking towards the exit, Danny's cell began to ring, and he answered it.

"Hello?…Hey, Dad…Yeah, I know. I was wondering if I could…Yes, Dad, I did. Could I stay by Sam's for the night?…No, I need to come home for those…Yeah, sure. See ya."

_What was that all about?_

_Dad was just making sure that I finished my homework. He thought that our 'raging teen hormones' would have gotten the better of us and had us…otherwise occupied._

_Does he really think we're that irresponsible?_

_Either way, I need to head home and get my stuff._

_What stuff? Your bag is still at my place._

_I need to get the outfit I just bought. I think it's one you might like._

_Really? Why?_

_Not telling. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out._ Danny slid his hand into hers, and the two headed for his house.

- - - - -

Picking through the fridge as Danny took his things up to her room, Sam grabbed two bottles, both filled with tomato juice she'd made that morning, and phazed through the ceiling and into her bedroom.

Danny smiled as she kissed him, taking one of the bottles and uncapping it. Chugging down about half, he barely managed to get the cap on the bottle before his eyes started to tear up and he began coughing.

"Are you okay?"

"What the…heck…is in this?"

Sam took his bottle and uncapped it, sniffing the contents. "Oops."

_What do you mean, 'Oops'?_

"You took the wrong bottle. I blended this tomato juice with habañero chiles."

_Who the heck would drink that stuff? Habañero chiles are like mini death beans._

Wordlessly, Sam unscrewed the top, draining the contents. Quickly recapping it, she tossed it aside, folding her arms over her chest and giving Danny a smile somewhere between victorious and seductive.

Closing his eyes, Danny reached out to her, his mental fingers prodding her system. Finding what he was looking for, he shook his head. "Hot."

"What, the juice? It doesn't bother me."

"I know that. I read your mind." Moving closer, he pushed Sam softly until he had her pinned against the wall, his hands palming the wall on either side of her waist. "I meant you."

Dipping his head down, their lips met, and Sam's arms were immediately around his neck. Danny shivered as her lips suddenly turned cold, knowing that she'd gone ghost as his breath slid out ice-cold. He transformed as well, and little disheartened as he, again, lost his sense of touch behind the gloves, his hands gliding to her hips and they began to hover.

Pulling away, now suspended in the air near the ceiling, the hybrids looked at each other and smiled.

"How's it feel?" Danny asked.

"It's great," Sam said. "Flying's the best. When I'm up there, I feel…complete. I'm at peace. I'm…"

"Free," Danny finished, Sam nodding in agreement. "So, how about a power check, Angel?"

Sam nodded again, and Danny motioned her towards the bed. "Phazing," he instructed, and she walked right through her bed. "Invisibility." Sam popped out of sight for a few seconds before he nodded, and she materialized in front of him.

"Okay, form split, hovering and flight I've all seen working. Umm…body split."

"But I can duplicate…"

"No, I mean separating your body in half to avoid an attack. Like this," he said, his upper body near the ceiling, his feet still touching the floor, a spectral fog the only connected between the two halves of his body. Sam repeated the move as he reformed, pulling herself together a moment later as Danny looked at her. "Overshadowing will have to wait until we have a full human to work with."

"Tucker can help with that tomorrow."

"What made you say that so…" Danny eyed Sam suspiciously. "Tucker already knows about you, doesn't he?"

Sam nodded. "He knew about my powers before you did, just like he knew about you getting me those flowers before you told me."

Danny's eyes shot wide. "He told you!"

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "You two were _way_ too obvious that there was something you were hiding."

"If that's the case, why did you seem so surprised to see me Friday with the card and the last rose?"

Sam smiled. "Using my full name on the last card threw me for a loop. I didn't think you'd call me that after what I did to you a few years back."

"Believe me, I was surprised that I did in the end. I figured I'd be leaving your place missing a girlfriend, my life, or quite possibly both."

"I wouldn't have killed you for calling me by my full name. Maybe left you a mangled mess on the side of the road, though."

Danny's eyes filled with apprehension, and Sam teleported over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, her lips gliding over his as he relaxed in her grip, pulling her closer.

Reaching gently into his mind, Sam found a lingering insecurity there, Danny still a bit unsure about their relationship, and Sam pressed her lips harder against his, her fingers sliding through his messy white locks, her question prodding into his mind.

Pulling away, he rested his head against hers. "It's not that I'm questioning our relationship, Sam. I…You remember what the Soul Shredder did?"

"It brought one's greatest fear to the surface and turned it into their reality. What does that have to do with us?"

"I'm so afraid that all of this is a dream. You're the only thing that I've never been able to be close to, to attain, in my dreams, and I'll go crazy the day I wake up into a nightmare world without you. I can't afford to be like this…to have this weakness…because it gives my opponents an advantage, but I just…I can't…"

Sam rested her fingers against his lips. "Was I ever like you in those dreams? Were we ever riding the skies together without you having to hold me? When you close your eyes, did you ever once see Angel instead of me?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You've always been afraid of losing me, but that's mostly been because I couldn't defend myself. Now…now that I'm like you, that I have these powers…I'm here to stay, Danny. You'll never wake up without me because this – all of this – is real."

_And you're sure?_

Sam pulled Danny close to her, returning to the human plane, her lips and teeth working sensually over his jaw line, and Sam could feel the last of his reservations shatter like a fine crystal glass dropped against a marble floor. Pulling away, her eyes opened to the sight of blazing ice blues, half-lidded, and she smiled.

_Thanks, Angel._

_Anytime, Phantom._

Taking a short moment to get his mind back in order and his pulse down to normal, Danny sat on Sam's bed, slowly falling back into her pillows, Sam hovering over and landing next to him.

"I'm impressed. You haven't even had your powers a week, and you're already good at using them in human form." Danny curled up against her, running his hand along her arm.

Sam looked down, feeling a faint chill creeping from his hand, and found his hand shimmering with green energy. She shook his hand away as she got up, walking over to her window, her eyes glazed over and blank. Resting against the window frame, she turned her eyes out to the growing darkness of night.

"You okay?"

"The warrant for your arrest in the Zone has been rescinded."

"What? How?" Danny asked, only to have Sam turn her back to him and fall silent once more. Reaching out, he opened the doorway to her mind, finding his way slowly through the locked maze of her consciousness, working past her mental defenses. As he finally found what had silenced her, his throat closed up, and he walked over to her, taking her gently into his arms, nuzzling into her neck. _What do you mean you killed Walker?_

Sam looked down at her hands, both now balled into tight fists. "Skulker attacked him…and took out…Look." She closed her eyes, the recalled image of Walker from that last encounter surfacing in both of their minds.

Danny gagged at the putrid taste of bile burning in the back of his throat, reflexively swallowing as he pulled her closer still. _You did…what he asked, Angel. It's not your fault what happened._

"I know that, but I can't help but think that his blood…ectoplasm…whatever…is on my hands. I destroyed him, Danny. I killed someone using powers that I accepted on the pretense that I would defend and protect others with them. I…"

Sam's voice was cut off as Danny reached around and rested his hand softly over her mouth. _You did what was right, Sam. Walker asked for your aid, and you provided that for him._

_I know…but…it's not just that. I felt…happy…doing what I did, like I got a thrill out of destroying him. Under the fact that I was fulfilling his request…I felt hatred, anger, vehemence…I wanted him to die, writhing and screaming in pain._

_It's only understandable that you wanted him to suffer. After all, he hunted me for how long? He turned my own town against me, against the good I was trying to do._

_But it's not right, Phantom. I'm not supposed to feel that way. Goth or not, bloodlust shouldn't be what controls my actions._

Danny frowned slightly, taking one of Sam's hands roughly in his and spinning her around to face him. Raising the hand to his neck, he used his own powers to ignite the ectoplasm in her system, and as she tried to pull away, Danny held tighter, keeping her flared hand almost fatally close to his neck. "Do you want to kill me, Angel?"

"Danny! I…"

"Do you want to kill me?!" he screamed, his eyes burning with an intensity that Sam had never seen before, and she slowly shook her head. Finally releasing her arm, he watched as she backed away. "There's no bloodlust, Sam," he said to her, his eyes softening. "If it were pain or bloodlust or whatever sense of sadistic pleasure you might have thought it was, you would have killed me without hesitation the moment I brought your powers to the surface. I wouldn't even have had time to ask."

He telekinetically lifted her into the air, battling against her own powers for a minute before she landed in his arms. Walking to her bed, he set her down softly, pulling the covers over her and tucking them against her body. Phazing through the blanket, he pulled off her shoes, feeling a serene wave of energy rush over her, and he knew that sleep was trying to claim her. Leaning down, he kissed her forehead gently. "I'm sorry that I did that, Sam, but I needed you to see. Sure, you're as much a hybrid as I am, but we're still half-human, and sometimes, our emotions are going to get the better of us. Sometimes, though, it's for the better. Remember the time during Spectra's stint at the school where Bertrand attacked the store? By the point that I had fired off that last blast, I was furious with the destruction and the fact that he'd risked hurting so many, and my anger powered that last shot." He sighed, running his fingers through her hair. "What you need to understand is that, as long as you're not hurting people just to see them hurting, your emotions can be a benefit to you."

Danny stood and walked towards the door, ready to head to the guest bedroom down the hall, but felt the pull of Sam's powers holding him in place steps away from her door. A soft click sounded, and he looked at the door to find that Sam had locked it.

"Stay with me," she pleaded.

Danny's eyes widened slightly, knowing full well what Sam was asking of him. Silently, he complied, kicking off his shoes as he hovered over her bed, sliding beneath the covers with her, hugging her body against his.

Within minutes, the two were sound asleep, an unconscious smile sliding onto Sam's face as Danny's arm instinctively tightened around her waist.

- - - - -

Danny had woken up, and had grabbed his bag before bolting for Sam's bathroom. Only as he was stepping into the shower did he feel Sam's mind awaken, reaching groggily for his.

_Danny?_

_Yeah?_

_What are you doing?_

_What does it sound like?_

Sam sighed as she unwrapped from her covers, looking at the clock as she did so. _Danny, there's still over an hour before we have to start getting ready for school._

_I know that. This way, we both have more than enough time to get ready._

Twenty minutes later, Sam heard the bathroom door click open. Turning, she found nothing but empty air. "Danny?"

"Still here," he said, his voice echoing slightly. "Just staying invisible."

"I want to see the new outfit."

"You get ready first."

Half an hour later, Sam stepped out in a black spaghetti-strapped shirt and black low-rise jeans, her hair still tangled up in a towel. Sitting down on her bed, she reached for her heeled boots, stopping only as her cell phone began to ring. Reaching to grab it, she missed it as Danny got to it first, the small device seemingly floating in open air as he spoke. "Hello?…Oh, hey, Tuck…um, head over this way…Sam's, you doofus. Why would I be answering her phone if…I'm gonna kill you for that…Yeah, sure. See you in a few."

"What was that all about?"

"He's headed over this way. He was curious as to if we'd attempted to make Jazz an aunt."

"I'm gonna kill him."

The smile was evident in his voice as he replied, "I already called dibs on that."

Sam shrugged. "You know, I've been thinking – with us having recently started dating, you think he's starting to feel a little left out? He's been kinda…distant when he knows we're together."

"He might be, although he mentioned that he figured it would happen at first when I talked with him. Seeing as we've been fighting our feelings for a while, he thought we'd need some time to get it out of our systems."

"Either way, I think you two need some good boy-bonding time. What do you say to you, him, and some of the three hundred-odd games I own tonight until you two can't keep your eyes open?"

"You sure? I wouldn't think you'd want out on that."

Sam nodded. "Knowing Tucker, I'm not a big fan of shooters, and he'll be all over a few of the ones I have, so I'll pass. Now, do I get to see that outfit you have been mentioning sometime before we get to school?"

Danny laughed as he materialized, his laugh only growing stronger at her response. Wearing a black tee emblazoned with a silver skull and crossbones, there was a black denim tee thrown on top, the bottom two buttons and button holes replaced with a series of chains that ran to the corners of his pockets. His pants, also black, were adorned from waist to ankle in still more silver chains, the stitching done in vibrant green, not too dissimilar from his ectoplasm. Peeking out from beneath the pants were a pair of boots similar to the ones Sam had worn up until recently. "So, Great Queen of the Goths, how did I do?"

"You look amazing," she commented, her eyes wandering over his outfit. "And hot."

"Well, I do have to admit, even with the air conditioning, it's a bit uncomfortable." He smirked, letting her know that he was kidding.

"That's not exactly what I meant, you goof."

Danny leaned over, his lips meeting with hers. _I know._

- - - - -

Danny leaned back in his seat, the chains of his jacket jingling slightly, as he listened to the teacher prattle on about a trigonometry formula that was going to be used on the final, and one that he and Sam understood already. Noting Danny's apparent lack of attention, the teacher called him up to the board to demonstrate the proper use of the formula, and a few snickers were heard as Danny shuffled up to the front of the class. Grabbing the chalk, Danny was quick to silence everyone, working his way quickly through the problem and setting the chalk down before returning to his seat. Smirking as he took his seat, his expression quickly changed as the fire alarm suddenly sounded, he and Sam both catching the flit of blue mist from their mouths as they stood.  
A cry of "Ghost!" was heard from somewhere in the hallway, and the classes began to empty out. Being in the back of the room, as well as ready to respond as soon as they could find a safe place to transform, they were the last two to leave.

As they rounded the corner, heading for the main doors, a rolling green fog appeared around their feet, rooting them both to the spot. Mr. Lancer, who was at the exit, making sure that all the students got out, saw as the two collapse to their knees, clutching desperately at their throats. As he began to walk towards them to try and help, a figure in flowing white appeared, grabbed the teens by their shoulders, and disappeared in a brilliant flash of green-white light. As the light and fog diminished, an ominous silence filled the empty hallway.


	17. Chapter XVII

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XVII**

Danny and Sam regained consciousness at the same time, their eyes blinded by the vicious glare of the afternoon sun. Remembering what had happened at school, they were in ghost mode immediately, their hands raised and glowing green as their abductor appeared before them, a ghost with flowing white hair and glowing blue eyes showing from under the cowl of their robe, the silver fabric only revealing the very tips of their fingers.

"Please, I beg of you, stay your aggression!" the ghost cried, raising their hands. "I come to you on peaceful terms!"

"You attacked our school and us," Sam growled. "I don't call that peaceful."

"Forgive my acts, my Lady. I did that only to prevent your fellow humans from asking why you would so willingly follow one of my kind."

Danny unclenched his hands, lowering his arms. "What is it that you want from us then, if not to fight us?"

"My Lord…have you forgotten?"

"Forgotten what?" Danny asked, quite confused by the way this ghost was addressing them.

"How many years have you spent on this plane?"

Danny and Sam both cocked their eyebrows.

"Forgive me. I mean to ask how old you are."

"We're both sixteen," Danny answered. "Why?"

The figure shook their head. "This is all wrong. The portals have broken the cycle. You are two years early into your legacy."

Sam stepped forward, a single step towards the ghost. "What are you talking about?"

_You are the Sacred Ones, correct?_

Sam and Danny were both visibly surprised as, for the first time, someone else had been able to telepathically communicate with them.

"Your ability to hear me is proof enough, but it would seem that the timeline of the Prophecy has indeed been rewritten. This is a dangerous omen for all."

Danny looked at the ghost. "Could you slow down a little and explain to us what you're talking about. We're both completely lost."

"I apologize. I did not expect that your incarnating would damage your memories as much as it seems to have." The ghost stepped forward a little before falling to her knees, the cowl falling away to reveal to the couple a female ghost appearing to be, or having died, somewhere in her early twenties. Bowing slightly lower, her forehead touching the ground for a brief moment, she then rose far enough to sit back on her legs. "I am Anila Uzima, High Priestess of the Order of the Guardians. You two are the Sacred Ones, the physical incarnations of those who have been prophesized as the ones who would forever free us from the dark servant who seeks Oblivion." She sighed, realizing that they were still confused by her words. "In essence, you two are, to the Order, the deities we serve."

Both teens fell backwards, avoiding falling over only by the last-minute remembrance that they could hover. It was then that they realized that they were on the same cliff where Danny's powers had first been amplified.

Sam looked at the ghost. "Tell us everything."

- - - - -

_The Creatrix was the beginning and the only. She was, is, and forever shall remain the Great Goddess that creates and destroys all things. She was the One who bore the first life unto the planet, and in the early days of Her land, death was unknown. As time passed, the balance of the universe began to falter, and She began to let the souls of her creations pass onto another existence. She found, with time, that the immortal souls that nurtured and gave life to her worldly creations grew in knowledge and strength, even in death, and thus began the never-ending cycle of life – birth, growth, death, and reincarnation._

_With all things, there must be balance. The idea known by humans as 'good' is no exception to this universal rule, and therefore, evil began to grow, not only in the mortal, corporeal world, but also within the spirits as well. Some spirits became malevolent, even those within the havens of the Summerlands, the dwelling place of spirits awaiting reincarnation._

_When the Creatrix realized that there was no way to reverse what these violent souls had become by Her power, She generated a third dimension, a rift between the physical plane and the Summerlands, known to most as the Ghost Zone. Dangerous spirits were banished to that land, never allowed to cross into the Summerlands to be reborn until they had released the fetters of their violent ways._

_In order to protect the worlds, and as a representation of the triad of worlds She had created, She created three Guardians borne of the light within Her, born to watch over those who dwelt within all worlds, but remained in the Ghost Zone, as that is where many souls began to reside, and also bore the Gateway between life and death. Those of the realm who repented their malevolence were granted new lives, while others grew darker still. _

_One of the three Guardians, over time, fell to the dark hollowness of the evil that resided within the Zone, and turned to darkness. With the power he controlled as a Guardian, he attacked inhabitants of both the mortal and ghostly realms, his strength growing with every kill. His final assault ended, blessedly, in failure. Deeming himself powerful enough to challenge and overthrow the Creatrix Herself, he assaulted the Gateway to the Summerlands. His own kin, the remaining two Guardians, were able to defeat and contain him so that he could never attack any being ever again._

_Or so they thought in the beginning._

_The Guardians had become so weakened by the fight that, in the end, they sacrificed their corporeal forms and submitted their spiritual essence to be bound to the Gateway, awaiting those who had been prophesied by the Creatrix._

_**There will be three of corporeal body and phantom soul that will bring this war to fruition.**_

_**Two will bear the power of the Guardians of the Gateway.**_

_**Two shall carry the Light that combats the darkened void of Oblivion.**_

_**One will feed the Eternal Shadow and unleash him from his prison.**_

_**One must die in order for the Eternal Shadow to reign again.**_

_**In this time of death and fear, the two must rise above all odds and fight,**_

_**For only in discovering the true power within can the worlds hope to survive.**_

- - - - -

"So you're saying that the three hybrids would end the threat of…you never said his name," Danny surmised.

Anila bowed her head. "The two Guardian hybrids are not guaranteed victory. That is part of the infinite unknown to us. As for the Eternal Shadow, his assault on the human world ages ago earned him the title of Malhecor." The ghost looked at them for a moment. "I already sense your next question – the Guardians that remain bear no names in the tongues of man or beast."

"There is no other hybrid like us, though," Sam said.

"True, but that is because jealousy and rage have made him nothing more than a pawn of Malhecor's design."

Danny and Sam looked at each other, the same name sliding past their lips – "Vlad."

"If that is the tainted hybrid, then yes," Anila said. "His power is fueled by emotions that breed only animosity and hate. What he does not and cannot see is that, with his strength growing and developing faster over the years, he is speeding up only his own demise."

"And there's nothing we can do to stop it?" Danny asked.

"I am afraid not. The bonds that have held Malhecor all these eons have begun to wear thin, and there is no way to stop him from escaping, as the seal cannot be repaired."

"How much time do we have?" Sam asked. "How much time before he's free?"

"We have no idea. The best guess that we can make is sometime within the next couple of weeks in human time. I…" Anila was silent for a moment, and both Danny and Sam felt a cold hand reaching through their minds. "You two have some sort of trials coming up in your schooling, I understand. What are these exams that have you so worried?"

Sam shifted. "They are end-of-the-year tests that measure how much we have learned against what the system believes we need to know. They are what decides if we move to the next grade up."

"They're only for the next two days next week," Danny added in. "After that, we'd be free for whatever is needed of us, but I have to admit, putting the security of the worlds on hold for school seems a bit ridiculous."

"There is time enough for them, Lord Phantom. We do not know if the bonds will hold for more than the next two weeks at best, but I do believe that there is enough time for these tests. After all, they are important events in the lives of your human selves."

Danny and Sam settled onto the ground, looking out over the city. Wrapping an arm around her waist, Danny pulled Sam closer to him, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. "How are we supposed to defeat something almost older than time, and with next to no powers? I can't even hold my own for long against Vlad, and based on what I'm hearing, Malhecor makes him look like a baby."

"There is much that you do not yet understand, and the Order will find a way to help you. There is a power within you both that needs only to be unlocked." Anila smiled as she bowed to them. "I must return to my kin in the Zone, and I pray that good tidings and fortune be with thee, my Lord and Lady."

As Anila faded away, Danny took Sam's hand in his, the two jumping off of the cliff, going ghost on the way down, and flew off towards the school.

- - - - -

There was a collective cry of relief as Sam and Danny turned the corner, headed for the school, and both teens were engulfed in their parents' crushing hugs.

"Are you alright?"

"What happened?"

"Did the ghost harm you?"

The questions continued to fly, but Danny's attention turned to only one in the crowd. "Mr. Lancer?" he asked.

"Yes, Daniel?"

"Are all of our final exams ready?"

Lancer blinked, taken aback by the question. "Yes, but may I enquire as to why you want to know?"

"If they're ready, Sam and I will be in tomorrow morning at nine to take them. We need to get them out of the way as soon as possible."

Maddie stepped up to her son. "Danny," she said, laying a hand on his shoulder, "what's going on?"

"The ghost…She came to warn us. There is a dark force rising in the Ghost Zone, and according to her, we…" Danny stopped himself, unsure how to continue.

Sam gripped Danny's hand. "She said that Danny and I were the only ones with the strength enough to fight."

"I don't like the sound of this, Sammie-kins," Sam's mother said. "It sounds far too dangerous for my little girl…"

"Dangerous or not, Mom, I don't really have a choice in the matter. This creature kills humans and ghosts without remorse, and I won't stand idly by and watch the world die because it was too risky. You should know that about me by now."

The four parents turned to each other, unsure of how to respond to them.

"I don't like this," Jack said plainly. "Ghosts can't be trusted."

"I know, Jack, but if it feels that there is enough of a risk that attacking in broad daylight was a good idea, can we really risk saying no? What if the ghost really meant to come only as a warning, but didn't want to risk setting the city into a panic? After all, Danny and Sam came back unhurt, which says a lot."

"How do we even know that the kids are even telling the truth? There could be a ghost…I don't know, controlling them right now," Sam's father piped in.

Thus, a debate broke out, the mothers arguing between the safety of their child and the future of the world. The fathers, each arguing for their wives' beliefs, only served to escalate the tension in the argument, neither side willing to concede their point.

_Danny, what if they say no?_

_If they do, we introduce them to the reason why we're able to fight._

_You expect to survive that kind of encounter? Your mother would have to be blind to miss at close range._

_If she knew that 'Inviso-Bill' was her son, do you really think she'd shoot me? Regardless, I'm with you in this, no matter what they say._

_Danny…_

_My Angel's worth it. Trust me._

The two were interrupted by Maddie. "What, exactly, did the ghost tell you?"

"We were both born with something that gives us unimaginable amounts of power and the ability to fight. We weren't supposed to…activate those powers until we were eighteen, but something about the Portal being activated jump-started the whole thing. The dark force we're supposed to fight…." Sam stopped, slowly piecing her words together. "Malhecor is already breaking free of his prison, and she said that we had to be trained before it was too late and he was free."

Resigned by the unwavering determination of their children, the parents could do nothing but agree with them, although very hesitantly. Sam, after a short argument with her father about Danny being 'nothing more than a load of trouble and a pathway to worse things', was allowed to stay at Danny's for a final exam review, Lancer having agreed to their scheduling.

The situation resolved, at least for the most part, everyone headed home.

- - - - -

Nearing nine that night, the sun's light faded beneath the western horizon, Jazz shut the chemistry book that she'd spent the last forty-five minutes quizzing Sam and Danny from. The pair had managed to get through the review almost flawlessly, Danny having missed two English questions and one in each chemistry and trigonometry, Sam only having missed one in world history.

"I'll let you get to bed in a few, but I wanted to talk to you first," Jazz commented as Danny and Sam plopped onto the bed, relaxing after the three hours of test review they had just endured.

"What about?" Sam asked.

"I get the ghost asking Danny for his help in this, but why they would need you," she said, motioning to Sam, "is still puzzling me."

"Let's just say that I'm not quite human anymore," Sam replied.

Jazz's eyes went wide. "How in the world did Danny talk you into that?!"

"I didn't," he defended. "She did so on her own. Even managed to hide it from me for nearly a week."

Jazz's eyebrows furled, her eyes shifting back and forth as she tried to connect everything. Sighing, she looked up. "I still don't get it all. Parts of what you're explaining aren't making any sense."

"What do you mean?"

"If you're both half-ghost, is that why you can fight this….thing?"

Danny smiled. "We're not just half-ghost, Jazz. We're living incarnations of the Guardians of the Gateway between worlds."

"Who?"

"The spirits that were made by the Creatrix as protectors of the gate that lies between the Ghost Zone and…well, nirvana, I guess."

"Unfortunately," Danny cut in, "that makes us siblings to Malhecor."

"What?!"

"Well, not siblings, per se, but the three Guardians, as Malhecor was once one, were created from the same light of the Creatrix. Malhecor later fell to darkness, and the remaining two are the stronghold against him."

"So, the purpose of the three…well, two now, was to….what, guard the Gateway for eternity?"

"No, Jazz, it was to open a hot dog stand in Jersey," Danny quipped sarcastically.

Jazz sighed, her head falling into her hands. "Danny, I'm trying to piece all of this together. It's hard for me to make all the connections in a subject that, up until recently, I didn't even believe in." She closed her eyes for a moment, opening them only when she felt she'd come to some basic understanding. "So, you're saying that you're connected to one Guardian, Danny, and that Sam is connected to the other, right?"

Danny nodded. "That's it in a nutshell."

"Then that would mean that Malhecor, by what you're telling me, is connected to Vlad?"

Danny's eyes fogged over, half in pain, half in fear of the hybrid mentioned. "Yeah. He's bound to Malhecor, and…in the end, because of it, he's destined to die."

Jazz blinked. "What do you mean, 'destined to die'?"

"The last bond of Malhecor's prison is his necessary symbiotic relationship with the 'tainted hybrid'," Danny explained, hanging his head. "To shatter that bond, he'll have to kill Vlad, and there isn't a thing that I can do to change that."

Jazz stood and laid a hand on her brother's shoulder as Sam took him into her arms. "Don't worry too much, Danny. Somehow, just maybe…it'll all work out in the end." Walking towards the door, she stopped as she turned the knob. "You two need to get your rest. You've got quite a busy day tomorrow."

As the door closed, Danny slumped to the floor, collapsing onto the sleeping bag he'd laid out earlier.

"Danny, I…"

"Sam, please…don't. I can't take this."

"You shouldn't feel guilty about this. As much as I don't like to say this, Vlad did sort of bring this on himself. After all, you and him have the same powers, yet he's used them to his own ends, caring nothing for anyone but himself."

"That doesn't change the fact that I can't help him. I feel like I'm letting him down."

_What has he ever done for you to make you believe that you owe him anything?_ an unfamiliar voice asked. Danny and Sam shot bolt upright as a figure in robes similar to Anila's appeared before them, removing his cowl as he bowed to them. Silver hair flitted over stunningly brilliant sapphire eyes, his shoulder-length hair held down by a silver circlet that bore a white and green yin-yang symbol on the front, resting about an inch above his eyes.

"My Lord and Lady, forgive my intrusion. I am High Priest Damien Kuolema." Kneeling next to Danny, Damien rested a hand on his shoulder. "My Lord, you must understand. The Web of Eternity that the Creatrix weaves is made of the Threads of Life, and once woven and cut, they cannot be respun."

"There has to be something that I can do."

"Fight Malhecor with everything that you have. Many may die in the coming battle, this war, but you must not let their sacrifices be in vain, my Lord."

"But…"

Damien held his hand up, signaling for Danny to stop. "You should realize by now that death is not the end. Vlad's Thread may be cut, but that does not mean that his soul will be sent to Oblivion, nor that it will remain trapped within the Zone." Stepping back, he bowed. "I take my leave."

As he vanished, Sam rolled over and slid off of the bed, and she wrapped her arms around Danny, holding him tightly.

Reaching out with his mind, Danny pulled the sheet from his bed, also taking with it a pillow for Sam to lay her head on. A few minutes later, he'd helped her get comfortable, and she snuggled into him, both of them quickly falling into a deep slumber.


	18. Chapter XVIII

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc. "Nemo" is the property of Nightwish and Roadrunner Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

* * *

**Chapter XVIII**

Danny could tell from the expressions on his parents' faces that the questions asked yesterday were nothing compared to the deluge they'd get hit with when they got back from school.

Disregarding the silence in the kitchen, Danny and Sam sat down and dug into the pancakes that had been made for them, Sam having seen the carton of soy milk next to the empty, batter-encrusted bowl that Maddie had prepared their breakfast in.

As they stood and put on their backpacks, Maddie handed each of them a plain, unaltered thermos. "Orange juice. I figured you could use something to drink during the tests."

The two had just left the house when Jack called after them, "Make sure you come back right after the exams are over."

- - - - -

Lancer was waiting for them on the school steps, portfolios in hand. He waved a greeting, the events of yesterday still lingering on his mind.

"Morning, Mr. Lancer," the youths said in unison as they proceeded down the hall to their English room.

"How are you feeling, Ms. Manson? It looks like your cheek healed up quite well."

Sam nodded. "It did, and I'm feeling good."

"And you, Mr. Fenton?"

"Never better." He looked around. " Always the little things that you never notice. This place is like a crypt without classes going on."

Lancer, a few steps ahead, smiled to himself. The quiet was the exact reason he'd spend his Saturdays at the school, finding that he was always able to concentrate on the tests he'd write a lot better in that environment.

Arriving at the room, Lancer started going through the tests, the hybrids knowingly taking seats on opposite sides of the class.

Lancer smirked. "You remember mid-term rules, huh?" to which the teens nodded. "Alright, your first exam is American Literature. There are one hundred multiple-choice questions, followed by ten short-answer questions and one essay. You have ninety minutes."

The two quietly accepted their test papers, scribbling away as soon as they read the first question.

- - - - -

Each test had gone smoothly, ninety minutes to test, ten for a break, getting a snack or using the restroom. Considering how fast they'd finished the tests each time, however, there was little more than fifty minutes gone each time before they'd handed in their papers.

So far, they had coasted through American Literature, World History, Trigonometry, and had just finished their Health exams. Danny excused himself, returning a few minutes later, laughing softly.

"Something funny, Mr. Fenton?" Lancer asked, a tad curious as to his pupil's sudden fit of giggles.

"Just wondering if I'm the only person in the world who goes to the bathroom and wonders why it's called a 'bathroom'. There's no bathtub in public bathrooms." He stifled another fit of laughter. "Although, as many times as my dad has fallen asleep in there at home, I can understand 'restroom'."

Sam giggled softly. Lancer, although a bit perturbed by what Danny had just said, smiled. "The proper term for that facility is a lavatory."

"Sounds like 'laboratory'. Then again, with what goes on in the boy's bathroom sometimes…" He promptly began laughing harder than before. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Danny sat back down.

"Okay, two more to go – first, Chemistry, and then your respective elective classes."

The Chemistry final was, of course, peppered ever so lightly with giggles.

- - - - -

Danny was really looking forward to the last exam. As close as he and Sam were, he'd yet to hear exactly why the chorus teacher spoke so highly of her. She'd always been too concerned about making a fool of herself to ever sing in front of him or Tucker. He'd caught murmurs of stuff by Enya and Evanescence at times, but had never heard enough to tell just how good her voice really was.

They both had written tests, Sam's about stuff that Danny didn't dare ask, especially since they'd both agreed that their telepathy would be off-limits during the exams.

Danny, having taken an introduction to computer programming class, blazed through his test.

Sam turned her test in about five minutes after Danny, staying at Lancer's desk while he set up an audio recording system that Sam's chorus teacher had loaned him. "Name the artist and song for the vocal portion of the test. Take a few seconds, relax, and then begin."

Sam tensed up a little as Lancer began recording. "The song title is 'Nemo', the artist is Nightwish." She took a deep breath, steadied her nerves, and began singing. "This is me, for forever, one of the lost ones, the one without a name, without an honest heart as compass. This is me, for forever, one without a name, these lines the last endeavor to find the missing lifeline."

Danny was astounded. Her voice was delicate, yet filled with a haunting tremor that made the song sound as her own, her emotions poured out as if she was suffering the pain she expressed. The melody tugged at Danny, his heart near breaking at the inner torment spilling from Sam's mouth, hoping that her sorrow and song selection were just for performance.

"Oh, how I wish to dream again. Once, and for all, and all for once, Nemo my name forevermore."

Danny's eyes went wide, remembering the name from '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'. Nemo meant no-one or nobody, a hollow shell of what was once human, and he begged the Creatrix, little that he knew about Her, than Sam did not mean the words she sang.

"My name forevermore," she sang, the last words slid past her lips, the gentle caress of the internal hell ringing in Danny's ears.

Lancer stopped the recording and dismissed the two as he placed all of their tests back into the portfolios.

- - - - -

"You okay, Phantom? You seem on edge about something."

Danny looked at her, sadness tinting the blue depths of his eyes. "It's just…" he began, hanging his head, obsidian bands shadowing his eyes. _We've just recently started dating, and all this that's going on…and what happened between you and Walker…_

"Danny, what's wrong?" Sam asked sternly, laying her hands firmly against his shoulders, forcing him to stop walking.

He looked up at her, and she saw the fear within his eyes. "All this time I've known you, and the first time I ever hear you sing, it's a hell full or torment, agony and despair where you are a no-one, an empty shell of the only one I've ever loved."

"What are you saying?"

"Please tell me that you didn't mean what you were singing. Please tell me it was just a performance, and the pain I could hear in your voice was just for a good grade."

Sam shook her head. "At a few points in my life, I may have meant it. Once, I did feel that way, but I don't anymore." She smiled coyly. "I followed the lines of that last endeavor."

"So I'm your missing lifeline?"

_You're not missing anymore._

They stepped out onto the stairs in front of the school and sat down. Lancer followed them a few moments later, resting against the building as he stood. "You two are prepared for whatever awaits you in the upcoming battle?"

"I don't think there _is_ a way to be fully prepared. All the battles that I've already fought, minor as they were, tested my limits. Sam's even newer to our powers than I am."

Sam smiled, leaning on Danny. "I still think that we'll make it through. We're a tough couple."

A glowing hole, shimmering silver-white, appeared before them, and a ghost garbed in the robes of the Order stepped out, kneeling and bowing before the teens. "My Lord and Lady, I bring good news. The Guardian's Scroll has shown us the way to unlock your powers. We need but one more day to prepare for the ritual."

Danny nodded. "Then there is but one problem that lies before us."

"My Lord?" he responded, sitting back up.

"You're not Damien."

The ghost's eyes widened. "Forgive my disrespect, Lord Phantom. My name is Yoniko Kobun."

"See to it that the preparations are made ready within the day, Yoniko," Sam replied, "and thank you for this message."

"Hope returns to light the Paths at the Gateway. Be well, my Lord and Lady." Standing, he turned and walked back into the portal he'd come through, and it vanished.

"Well, that was a new view on ghosts," Lancer piped up after a moment.

Danny and Sam turned towards each other as they stood, then said, in unison, "Here's another one for the road." They ran towards the street, jumping into the air as they transformed, flying towards the Fenton house.

"Well, what do you know?" Lancer said as he watched them go.

- - - - -

Guns were in their faces before they even had a chance to say hello.

"What are you doing here, ghost boy?" Maddie asked, finger on the trigger of one of their newest ectoplasmic pistols.

"Geez, Mom, you always were a 'shoot first, ask questions maybe' kind of ghost hunter, huh?"

Maddie and Jack nearly dropped their guns, not believing their ears.

"Danny and Angel Phantom, known better as…" Danny began as they transformed, "Danny Fenton and Sam Manson."

Both parents fell mute, barely able to re-holster their guns, Jack actually dropping his the first time he tried. "What…How…When?" was all that Maddie was able to manage as Jack walked over to the couch and sat down.

Maddie stopped for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts and still stumbling over her words. "Why…didn't you tell us? We…could have…done something…"

Danny shook his head. "This is what gave us the power to fight and save the world in the first place." He looked at both of his parents, hand drifting behind his neck. "I was afraid to say anything because of how you two treat ghosts as little more than test subjects to be dissected."

"I guess this is why you were always out so often and home so late, then?"

Danny nodded. "I have to keep my hometown safe, don't I? No matter the number of groundings I get?"

Maddie smiled at her son. All of the times she'd chastised him for being irresponsible, and here he had been, fighting with everything he had, protecting all that he held dear, and from all of the numerous ghosts that had attacked. On the tails of that thought, another popped into her mind. "You took the Ecto-Suit, didn't you?"

"It was the only resort I had against Pariah Dark," he answered calmly.

Jack mumbled something under his breath, his eyes still wide and unfocused.

As a momentary silence took over the house, a scream suddenly echoed up from the basement, and Sam and Danny took off, shifting from human to ghost as they ran, Maddie right behind them.

"What the heck?!" Danny said, finding the Fenton Portal once again active.

"We turned it back on when our sensors picked up your ectoplasmic signatures," Maddie replied hurriedly. "I'll turn it off if…"

"No," Danny said, cutting her off. "I know that voice." Walking up to the Portal, he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Sidney!"

Within moments, the youth emerged, a deep gash running along his left cheek. "I'm being killed by a giant bully in a metal suit!" he shrieked, the terror clear in his voice.

"Mom, get behind us now!" Danny commanded. Backing up, and taking Sidney with him, he waited until he and Sam were side-by-side, and they both activated their shields. Seconds later, Skulker stepped from the swirling green abyss. "I thought so. Looks like the hunter just had his license revoked."

"Do not get in my way, you pawn of the Light."

Both teens' eyes shot wide open. Skulker's voice was deeper, more menacing, and his normally nondescript green eyes were a uniform, unreflective black.

_We need to bypass that armor, Danny._

_You able to use your wail yet?_

_I dunno._

_Try. Just focus your power into your scream._

_Okay, but I'm going to have to drop my shield._

_I got your back._

Sam took a deep breath, focusing herself, and then dropped her shield as a shriek emanated from her lips, far unlike Danny's wail.

Skulker smiled, knowing full well that there was now a back-up system if the kids' wail shorted it. His confidence, as well as his suit, shattered under the sonic assault in seconds.

Danny quickly reformed his shield, wrapping the green bubble around the ghost that lay within the suit. Looking over at Sam, he asked one question – "What was that?"

It was his mom that answered. "That would have been the shriek of the banshee."

Skulker, now reduced to the miniscule and harmless ghost he really was, growled from within the confines of the shield, his voice unchanged from the deep one he'd used earlier, "Ghosts who help humans…how pitiful. You need not relate yourself to their weak kind."

Danny turned and levitated a small item to his hand, taking the glowing blue fishing line and wrapping it around Skulker's form after dropping the shield until the only part of him showing was his head. Unceremoniously dropping the ghost onto the counter, both he and Sam shifted back.

"No, not just any ghosts now, but the two Guardians who defied me," he spit towards Danny. "You filthy, ignorant bastards."

Danny and Sam couldn't believe their ears, and the only thing that kept them from rushing everyone out of the house was the sudden appearance of Anila.

"What's going on, Anila?" Danny asked.

Before she could answer, however, Skulker screamed at them. "Your brainwashed servants will not help you, Guardian! You are nothing compared to my power. I will annihilate all things and drag you all to Oblivion!"

"Silence, tainted one," Anila snapped, immediately aware of what was happening. "You will not succeed in this assault, and you will fail as you did ages ago." Turning to the confused crowd, she explained. "Malhecor's bonds are breaking, and he is already able to influence and possess the dark-soul inhabitants of the Zone."

"Dark-soul?" Maddie asked.

"Yes. They are ghosts with deeply-rooted malevolence and hatred towards the living."

Danny walked over to Skulker and picked him up. "Listen, Malhecor, we are not going to let you win. No matter what happens, we will destroy you this time."

Skulker spat at Danny again. "You worms have lost your powers, restrained by this limited corporeal forms. You can't even hope to defeat me."

Fed up, Danny tossed the bundle of ghost back onto the table. "Is there anything we can do for Skulker?"

Anila shook her head, white hair waving gently. "The one you knew as Skulker is dead, his essence passed to the never-returning void of Oblivion. Malhecor is controlling but a shell."

A whimper of pain reached their ears, and Danny saw the wound on Sidney's face still oozing ectoplasm. At his side in an instant, Danny was in ghost form, wiping a hand over the wound and wincing as his motion made Sidney cry out once more. Biting down on his suit collar, he ripped it clean off, folding it over twice before pressing the compress against Sidney's wound. "Sam, get me a pair of scissors and a roll of the fishing line."

Maddie looked at her son questioningly. "Honey, what's going on? Why are you helping him?"

"Sidney, relax," Danny said as he added more pressure to the compress before turning to his mother. "If Sidney dies, it would be another kill for Malhecor. Since he seems to feed his power through death, we don't need to let him have that advantage over us."

Sam returned with the supplies, and Danny looked over to her. "Cut a length of line about twice as long as your forearm," he instructed, and she did so, gasping as she looked up to Danny.

"What's wrong?"

"Your eyes changed color again. They're dark blue now."

"You will grow used to the color changes, my Lady. The eyes of a Guardian show the workings of their heart. It was often said that the blue of twilight skies, as you are seeing now, was the color of Danny's Guardian's eyes when he worked as a healer."

Danny took the line from Sam, molding his ectoplasm around the middle of the string until it formed a crude crescent-shaped needle. "Sid, you're going to have to bite the bullet with this. I don't know what works as a painkiller for ghosts, and we need to get this taken care of now."

Sydney whimpered as Danny lifted the compress and actually saw the extent of the wound. Running from below his left ear to right under his chin, Danny was glad that he'd had as much line cut as he had. Pinching the sides of the wound together under Sidney's ear, he deftly worked a little over half of the available thread through in the first stitch, securing the remaining length of fishing line under his stitches as he continued down the wound. Tying off the last of the line once he finished, he cut the excess away and ran his hand over the wound, coagulating the last of the ectoplasm that still seeped through with a faint amount of his own ectoplasm.

Sidney ran his fingers along where the cut had been, and smiled at Danny, the pain still evident in his eyes.

Danny gently ruffled his hair. "That's likely going to leave a scar, unless ghosts heal like I do, but at least you'll be okay."

"Thanks, Danny," Sidney replied.

Maddie turned to the doorway as her husband came down the stairs. "Maddie…there's another…ghost…in the house."

A flash of light indicated that Danny had changed back, Anila respectfully taking her leave of the group.

"Mom," Danny asked, "how many abandoned warehouses are there on the waterfront?" Danny looked up, spikes of gold firing from the centers of his eyes, lancing his ocean blues with rays of sunlight.

All present were taken aback by the change, but his mother quickly recovered. "About five or six, but I'm not totally sure. Why?"

Danny faced the Ghost Portal, kicking the power cords apart. "Leave this shut down and unplugged." Bowing his head, he voice dropped to an echoing bass whisper. "Desiree…Nicolai…Wulf…Clockwork."

Portals immediately opened up before him, two of his own gold-white energy, one of clock hands, and one ripped open by deadly claws, and the four summoned ghosts stepped forth. "Welcome. I know that some of you may not want to hear what I am about to say, much less help, but you must listen." By now, his voice had returned to normal. "There is a great danger in the Zone, one brought about by an ancient evil. I need you to start moving everyone into this world. Nicolai and Desiree, you're going to be working with Clockwork and Wulf. Since they can create natural portals between the worlds, it will be faster working with them." He turned to Clockwork and Wulf. "There are abandoned warehouses on the waterfront here in Amity Park," he smiled, turning to the Master of Time, "though you were probably already aware of this. I need everyone taken there until we can figure out how to keep them safe. Make haste. Skulker and Walker have already been killed."

The looks on the faces of the four summoned specters were those of fear. The power that it actually took to kill a ghost…Teaming up, they were gone just as quickly as they had appeared.

"Mom, Dad, by the mandate of your offices in Ghost Control, get those warehouses sealed off to the public. I want to try and stay as far ahead of Malhecor as I can, but I don't want to start a panic." Nodding, Maddie led Jack out of the basement.

Sam walked over to Danny and hugged him. "Never thought I'd see the day where your parents were working to _save_ ghosts." She turned as the front door slammed, Maddie and Jack headed towards the docks.

"This has to be done."

- - - - -

"…and that's how we got to this point in time," Sam finished, having slept quite soundly after last night's events. She took another bit of her waffles as she regarded Danny's parents.

"I still don't believe Vladdie has had powers all this time. We were great chums in college."

"I just can't help but feel so…useless, unable to save Vlad from this…regardless of how many passes he's made at me recently."

Danny nodded. "I doubt that he'd even listen to me, but we've got to try and keep him safe for as long as possible, just to slow Malhecor down some."

"Pardon me, my Lord and Lady," a voice spoke, and all turned to find Damien in the doorway. He bowed to Danny and Sam, then again to Danny's parents. "It is a pleasure and an honor to meet the parents of our Lord Phantom."

Stepping up to the Phantoms, he knelt before their chairs. "I bring good tidings from the Gateway."

Before he could continue, the air behind Jack was ripped open, Desiree and Wulf stepping through. "Ghost boy," Desiree began. "Nicolai and Clockwork are taking the last of the refugees to the warehouses. What now?"

"Return to the warehouses and await my orders. And Wulf?"

The ghost's ears perked up.

"Keep an ear to the ground. Make sure that no one gets hurt."

Snorting in friendly acceptance of his duty, he turned, ripped into the fabric of reality, he and the genie departing.

Danny turned to regard his original guest. "Proceed, Damien."

"All things are prepared, my Lord. We await only your arrival to begin the ritual." Danny nodded in understanding. "If I may be permitted to say so, your actions to empty the Zone were wise."

"Thank you, Damien. Is there any other news?"

"Just a small note, and that is, with us not knowing what powers he's retained, Malhecor may be able to dimension-shift once he is free. The human world must be protected as well."

Sam cut in. "I have already been setting up strategies for this sides' defense, but thank you for your concern, Damien."

"You're quite welcome, my Lady. Will you be coming now?"

Danny nodded, standing. "Mom, make sure that you get a broadcast out today about the situation, and have the town ready for an emergency meeting by the time we get back. Dad, you're going to need to go and try to get through to Vlad and get him here." Turning, he looked at the ghost near him. "Damien, summon Yoniko. I'd like him to go with Dad to help with Vlad and defend him should Vlad attempt anything." Once Damien had returned with Yoniko, Danny turned back to Jack. "Take the Speeder. It's the fastest way, but you'll have to find out whether he's in Colorado or Wisconsin."

Exchanging hugs and goodbyes, the parties went their separate ways.

- - - - -

Damien led the pair through a wooded grove, one that, although within the confines of the Ghost Zone, had vegetation and rock formations that seemed quite corporeal. Sensing the wonder in his companions, he responded, "We are near the gate that leads to the Summerlands. The area nearby is a balanced mesh of both corporeal form and spiritual energy, much like yourselves."

Passing under a wall of leaves from what appeared to be a very old willow tree, the three stepped into clearing, a shining ring of light at the far end, two forms with flowing white hair, one going halfway down her back, the other only a bit longer than shoulder-length, milling about.

Anila turned her head, she and the other ghost bowing in respect.

Danny immediately walked up to the second ghost. "I don't believe we've had the honor, Priestess."

Part of her shoulder-length hair fell over one of her eyes and she bowed again. "Many blessings to you, Lord Phantom. I am Anlyn Rhyani."

"An honor and a pleasure, Anlyn," Danny replied, laying a hand on her shoulder, his eyes shifting from blue to silver. "Fear not, young one. We will see that his return is short, and that we win this."

"I know, my Lord. I trust in the Guardian's powers."


	19. Chapter XIX

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XIX**

"Why would I believe any of this, Jack? I've got all the security I need in this house. Besides, why would a ghost, of all things, attack me? What is it…"

"I know that you're part ghost, Vladdie," Jack said as he closed the door of the chateau behind him.

Vlad stopped in his tracks, turning to Jack. "What in the world gave you that idea?"

"My son," Jack answered flatly, "a 'hybrid', just like you."

Vlad smiled. "So he finally told you."

Jack nodded. "All of it, even the parts about you trying to kill me and steal my wife every time you saw her."

Vlad regained his composure, cracking a devilish grin. "You've finally cracked, Jack. Ghosts and humans can't co-exist in the same body."

"Your lies end now, servant of the tainted one," a voice called out, and Yoniko stepped from the shadows. "You know, just as well as Jack and I, that it's all true."

"Come on, Vladdie. Let's get you to Amity Park. Danny and Sam will know what to do to help you."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Sam? Who's he?"

"She, actually. Sam is Danny's closest friend…and a hybrid."

"Is she now?"

Yoniko stepped up to Vlad. "We're leaving now, Plasmius. Lord and Lady Phantom will be most displeased with me and Lord Phantom's father should anything happen to you, so we cannot leave you here." He turned and bowed to Jack. "My blessings of hope I give to thee. I am needed at the Gateway." With that, he vanished.

"What's really going on here, Jack?"

"I'll tell you along the way."

- - - - -

"I'm not about to get the city in a tizzy over the word of a ghost, especially not Danny Phantom. He's a threat…"

Maddie exploded. "The thing he warned us about is a lot more of a threat than Danny Phantom could ever be." She pulled the Thermos from its holster, opened it, and emptied the still-bound Skulker onto the desk.

"Pathetic, inferior mortal! Release me so that I may end your meaningless existence!"

Mayor Montez shook his head. "_This_ is the threat?"

"No. He's an…avatar, I supposed. He was once a powerful ghostly-warrior, but now he is but a shell controlled by a ghost still sealed within the Zone. Danny has fought this particular ghost before, while he was in control of an armored battle suit, and has nearly lost on multiple occasions."

"I still don't see how…"

"Malhecor is still bound within the Ghost Zone, unable to manifest in any form, and still needed less than a _millionth_ of his total power to completely break this ghost and possess him, not to mention that he was able to use this ghost, in the suit, to annihilate another ghost. Do you even understand the sheer amount of power required to actually _destroy _a ghost? If he was able to do that much, I would hate to see what that kind of power could do to the citizens of Amity Park, should he break out and attack while we are still undefended and unaware of an impending attack." Maddie said, her voice having become cold and harsh.

The mayor gulped. "Then alert the town. Please hurry."

- - - - -

"Hail be to the Guardians!" Yoniko called out as he stepped into the grove.

"So let me get this straight. Sam and I, regardless of the creation, or lack thereof, of the Fenton Portal, were going to become half-ghost anyway, due to some sort of spiritual seeding done on our souls while they were in the Summerlands. The 'seeds' just sprouted early because of the Portal?"

"Yes, much in the same way that Vlad's connection to Malhecor was forged years ahead of schedule with the Proto-Portal incident, and also because of his severe personal corruption. He was also not a carrier of the 'Phantom seed', so to speak, but due to the fact that he's had two decades worth of practice, he remains, until Malhecor's escape, the most powerful and most malevolent specter in existence."

Danny rubbed his temples. "That's a lot to swallow. Part of me really wishes that we had those other two years."

Across the grove, Sam took a look at the scroll Anlyn had shown her. "What is this part of the ritual? There's no writing."

Anlyn took Sam's hand, pressing it against the circle inscribed on the scroll. Sam could feel, at the top and bottom of the image, deep wellsprings of love, yet from the sides, there was equally powerful hatred. Suddenly, the emotions shifted, hope where there had been love, despair where there had been hatred. A moment later, it happened again, joy and sorrow now felt, and Sam pulled her hand away. "What is this?"

Anlyn smiled. "The true language of the Guardians is emotion. Unsurpassed in empathy by any and all that ever existed, they could feel into the very core of a spirit or person, to the heart of their intent, in order to judge those who wanted to pass the Gateway. What they felt would either tell them if it was okay to let the spirit pass or if it was to be locked here, in the Zone."

"That explains why we, or at least our Guardian selves, had no names."

Anlyn nodded. "To speak the names of the Guardians, human language would need the ability to explain all emotions in one moment, something that cannot be done because, to do so, one would have to basically be on par with the Creatrix Herself."

Danny walked over to Sam, kneeling down in the grass next to her. "Sam, Damien and Anila explained the ritual to me. You think you're ready?"

"If it helps us…if it gives us the strength to fight, then yes."

Anila piped up. "There will never be a way to undo what will be done here. Once the Guardian essence and hybrid body have fused, forever that way will you remain."

"We understand," they said in unison, standing. In silence, they walked until they stood in the center of the ring of light. Danny had to steady himself, the silver floor more liquid than solid, yet supporting his weight. Looking down, he saw a multitude of worlds flash before his eyes, and he reeled back, bumping into Sam.

"My Lord," Yoniko asked, "are you alright?"

"I thought you were only supposed to not look down when on heights. Why am I feeling vertigo at the Gateway?"

Anila walked up to the edge of the ring and pointed down. "What lies beyond, in the Summerlands past this Gateway, is up to the individual that passes through it. What they expect to find past death is what they will find. Should you believe in Heaven or Hell, time will be spent in that realm until your next incarnation. Should you believe you must earn passage through the Egyptian underworld or across the river Styx, that will be what awaits you past here. If there is nothing beyond, you find nothing, knowing nothing until your next life." Moving away from the ring, Anila waved the others into position.

As the four ghosts took their places, Danny and Sam began the incantation. "One male and one female. We stand at the Gateway, backs turned to one another in opposition," at which point they stood back against back, interlacing the fingers of their hands, "hands joined in unity. We carry within the daytime of life, and also the nighttime of death. Opposite polarities balance to symbiotic duality. Stand we now, reborn Guardians of the Gateway, strength of spirit and physical form."

Anila, standing before Danny, raised her arms as Damien, who was facing Sam, did the same, standing just outside of the ring. In unison, they spoke, "Male faces female, female faces male. Opposing ends with unified hearts."

Anlyn and Yoniko, standing halfway between the other two of the Order, raised their arms into the same Y-shaped position, their eyes facing Danny and Sam's sides. "Male faces female," they intoned, and Danny and Sam moved slightly apart, hands still entwined, allowing Anlyn and Yoniko's eyes to meet. "Vision passes through the balance in between. Opposing ends with unified hearts."

Sam and Danny lowered their heads, eyes fluttering shut, as the emotional channeling of the four began. Slowly, they became aware of balanced tides of love and hate, then joy and sorrow. Courage and fear. Understanding and confusion. Harmony and dissent. The tide of emotions washed over them, time flowing past unnoticed as the cycle continued. Within them, a new sensation filled their bodies, one of balance and unity. Behind their closed eyelids, the entirety of their eyes was constantly shifting from solid white to solid black, soon settling into a blended grey. The Gateway beneath their feet, amorphous, fluid, and yet alive, crept up and around their forms, each never letting go of the other's hands. As they disappeared within the essence of the Gateway, their chanting began, a language long forgotten, which would have sounded to human ears as a dead language from before the dawn of men, its words flowing like a gentle river one moment, resounding with the force of a storm the next. It spoke in duality, the essences of existence spoken of simultaneously, continuing on as such for some time.

The essence of the Gateway, now surrounding the two in a perfect sphere, began to float above the ring, its silver luminescence radiant against the dark forest surrounding it. Ever so slowly, the sphere began to shrink, eventually revealing the new forms of the Guardians as the last of the silver-grey fluid disappeared into their eyes.

As their feet touched solid ground, the Gateway no longer roiling beneath them, the two, still holding hands, opened their eyes. Solid orb of silver slowly reverted back to the colors of their human forms, the natural colors luminescent with their own inner light.

Danny stood, silent as a statue, his bangs a glistening white, starkly contrasting his otherwise obsidian hair. A black vest draped over a sleeveless white tee, the back of the vest emblazoned with a now-silver sigil – the logo that Sam had designed. His black pants fit loosely over matching black boots, the flames that curled around his ankles dull silver. From just below his beltline, the back of the vest continued down to his ankles, a vertical slit running down the center, forming a cape.

Sam, as well, had undergone a change. White pants, the backs of which were slit open to just below the knee, covered white boots that were lined with silver vines and flowers. Her tied-off white tank top, the most recent change to her outfit, was now accented by a pair of elbow-length fingerless gloves, the white fabric marked above each wrist with an ornate black rose detailed in silver. A teardrop diamond necklace hung around her neck, the small pendant engraved with the initials AP.

The four ghosts nearby dropped to their knees, paying their respects to the incarnate Guardians.

"Rise, Servants of the Gateway and Followers of the Order. You have served us well," Danny said, his luminous azure eyes scanning over the assembled. "Lady Phantom, it is time to set the field of battle in the other world."

Sam nodded. "I can sense him. We must move now."

Danny turned around. "Damien, take the Scroll with you. It cannot fall into the hands of those who serve Malhecor," he said, looking over the gathered. "Hide yourselves within the human realm. There is not much time before the prison we once locked Malhecor in fails."

The four ghosts disappeared in flashes of light, and Danny and Sam turned to the now-empty Gateway, taking a single look where the Summerlands had once shown, now locked away by their power. Turning away, and in a brilliant flash of light, they phazed through the dimensions.

- - - - -

Paulina's eyes caught a bare glimpse of something, and when she turned, could see Danny Fenton, back turned to her, sporting a Danny Phantom vest-cape. "Nice vest, loser!" she cried. Danny stopped and turned to her, her eyes going wide in shock at his new appearance. "What happened to you – makeover by Death himself?" she scoffed.

"Paulina, you will never understand. Your need to degrade those you see as below you has blinded you to the truth."

She snorted, "As if."

"Is Danny Phantom a loser as well?"

"What?"

Forcing his appearance to change for a brief moment, Paulina gasped as snow white hair fell over entrancing neon green eyes. "Phantom is a loser if Fenton is."

- - - - -

The pair stepped into City Hall, taking to the air in order to reach the stage. Gasps of fear and awe were heard, but no one moved to run or attack. Slowly, Danny landed next to his mother, exchanging quick words before he turned to Sam, the two vanishing.

- - - - -

"Mom said that she's managed to keep the situation mostly under control. We just need to get the Defenders in place and spread out the ghosts." Stepping into the largest of the warehouses, the two scanned the throngs of ghosts. "Sam, are you totally sure about this?"

"They have powers that no human can access, and it's better that we send out ghosts with some firepower in case something does happen." She faced the crowd, her lavender eyes accented with silver spikes. "Nicolai! Ember!"

The two ghosts quickly stepped forward, Nicolai's black jacket flowing in the breeze that came in through the open door, Ember's hair just barely above an active flame.

"You need our assistance, ghost child?" Technus asked.

Danny nodded. "Half of the ghosts are going to be under your guardianship. Two others will accompany you."

Sam handed each of them a PDA, giving them instructions on how to use them. "There are global positioning systems in both. Record where you leave the refugee units."

"Who's coming with us, then?" Ember asked.

"Your choice," Danny replied. "Along with whatever you might need from my parents' lab to ensure a safe journey for everyone. Technus, I respectfully asked that you do _not_ go overboard with the tech."

"Then, with this crisis at hand, I, Dr. Nicolai Technus, will…" He stopped as he saw the expression on Danny's face and bowed to him. "As you command, Lord Phantom."

Both teens blinked, and asked in unison, "You know about us?"

"Well, duh," Ember replied. "Clockwork explained the whole thing during the evacuation. I'm guessing that I have to handle the other half of the ghosts?"

Sam answered, "Yes, and as soon as your teams are assembled, leave town. We need to spread out everyone to avoid Malhecor gaining any more victims."

The twp turned from the teens, scanning the massive crowd before them. "I request the aid of the dragoness and Lydia," Nicolai replied.

Reaching out into the crowd, the two requested were telepathically summoned, and they bowed their heads in respect as they joined Technus.

"Before you go, may I ask your name?"

The woman in the blue medieval dress turned to Danny. "My name is Dorathea."

"Then," Danny and Sam began, "to you, Nicolai Technus, Dorathea and Lydia, we grant the blessings of the Guardians."

The trio departed, and Ember stepped up. "I need Sidney and Walker's right hand flunkie."

As they stepped up, Danny faced the deputy warden. "Name?"

"Bullet, sir."

"To you, Ember McLain, Sidney Poindexter and Bullet, we grant the blessings of the Guardians."

The three left then, also taking their charges. Linking to Ember and Nicolai's minds, Danny telepathically sent out a final order. _Make sure that there are no more than twenty ghosts in each group. Spread them out over the globe, and report back to Amity Park when you've finished your mission. More awaits you after this has been taken care of._

With a flash of clock hands, Clockwork stepped into the area, bowing before Sam. "Your troops are assembled, Lady Phantom."

Stepping through the portal, they disappeared, the warehouses once more silent and empty.


	20. Chapter XX

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XX**

Three forms bowed as Sam and Danny stepped into the room, and Sam called out softly, "Rise, Warriors of the Gateway."

"Wulf, Desiree and Penelope Spectra all straightened up, Danny stepping near Wulf.

Sam began. "When the refugee leaders return, locations of the outposts will be given to each of you. You're to keep jumping from location to location, making sure that each unit is safe."

Danny, meanwhile, was relaying Sam's directive to Wulf in flawless Esperanto.

"Communication will be sort and to the point. The last thing we need is…"

Both Danny and Sam turned their heads, sensing a disruption with Technus' team. "We'll be right back," Sam said as she and Danny blinked out of sight.

- - - - - -

"The Light will not succeed!" Johnny 13 screamed, flinging Lydia's ghosts back at her. "The Shadow will…"

Danny and Johnny went spiraling through the air, Danny's cape tails flapping in the wind.

"You will die, brother," Johnny said to Danny, who then noticed the black orbs where his eyes should have been.

Grasping Johnny's wrists, Danny began flooding Johnny's body with silver-white energy. "Let him go, Malhecor!"

"Never. He, as all forms, will serve me and will die for me," Johnny replied, screaming as Danny pushed still more energy into his body.

"You cannot win, Malhecor. You will fail as you did before."

Johnny stopped struggling, a whisper escaping his lips. "Then his death and those of my other pawns will strengthen me." Closing his eyes, Johnny exploded into a ball of black light, Danny barely managing to get his shields up in time. At the same time, Sam felt the energies of Skulker, Bertrand and the Box Ghost all fade past existence and into Oblivion.

The sound of crying reached their ears, and it led the Guardians to Kitty, who was cradling a small black lump in her arms. The form shifted, revealing a miniscule Shadow. Through her tears, Kitty muttered, "I should have known something was wrong with Johnny. Shadow's dying without him."

Sam took the baby-sized Shadow into her arms, her eyes glowing with golden-amber light. Matching energy wove over her hand, and she touched it softly against Shadow's chest. Taking Kitty's hand, she laid it over Shadows' form, passing the amber energy into Kitty's hand. "By the will of the Guardians, Shadow and Kitty are now bound to one another."

"Be no more a spirit of bane, but a protector blessed by the Guardians, Shadow," Danny added, his eyes and energy matching that of Sam's. Taking Kitty into his arms, he held her close, his eyes turning silver. "Sorrow is felt for the loss of your love. May your strength give honor to his name so that his good will always be remembered. Blessed be thou, Warrior of the Gateway."

Turning to Technus as he released Kitty, Danny instructed, "You know your mandate. Kitty will be joining you and your troops on the journey back. She is one of you now."

Technus bowed as Danny and Sam vanished.

- - - - -

Walking through Clockwork's mansion, Sam turned to look at Danny. "There's a lot more to these powers than I thought."

"You mean with what happened to Shadow?"

"That, as well as your ability to fluently speak Esperanto. It's understandable, though, considering the job of the Guardians."

Danny nodded. "They cannot have passed judgment of a soul on thought alone, but in the validity of the truths spoken by the soul as well." His hands were moving absently, weaving energy into form.

Sam looked at his work in progress. "What is that for?"

"I'm going to keep in touch with Clockwork during all of this. This circlet will be able to bypass his existence being outside of our time flow."

Sam raised an eyebrow.

"I'm about to order him and this entire tower out of all time in an effort to keep him safe. Malhecor can't bypass time barriers like that." Danny sighed, "Just like we can't."

- - - - -

The sun rose over the eastern horizon, tinting the world in pink and orange light. As the light filtered through Danny's bedroom window, Sam kicked off the covers, heading to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, freshly showered, Sam observed her hair in the mirror. Where Danny's had only a little whit, the bottom third of her hair was black, the rest stark white. A knock shook her from her thoughts.

"My turn," Danny called groggily.

A ring of red energy coursed over Sam, drying the excess moisture from her body. Her clothes molded onto her body, and she stepped out of the bathroom. "Good luck getting undressed."

"What?" Danny said, still only half-awake.

Sam smiled softly. "These outfits are part of our bodies now, permanently part of us." She touched his hand lightly. "We're not quite human anymore, Danny."

"So, I have to…shed my skin? That's…"

"Kind of strange? I know." She shrugged, "Just another thing we have to get used to."

- - - - -

Danny and Sam sat in his room, discussing the events of the day prior, using that as a basis for the tactics they'd have to be putting into effect very soon.

There was a knock on the door, followed by a gruff voice struggling to speak.

"Puh…Ff…Puh-ff…" A growl issued from the speaker. "Fantomo, mi bezonas paroli kun vin." (1)

"Bonan matenon, Wulf. Kio estas ĝi?" (2) Danny replied.

"La Militistos estas tie ĉi." (3)

"Diras ilin tiu ni estos subŝtupare en momenton." (4)

"Kiel vin komandas, mia Sinjoro," (5) he said before they heard the soft padding of his footfalls walking away.

"Wulf…" Danny called, and the ghost stopped, his ears perked. "La 'p-h' soni en la Angla estas kiel la 'f' soni en Esperanton." (6)

"Dankon, Sinjoro Fantomo." (7)

A moment later, Danny and Sam headed downstairs, where they found the nine other Guardians milling around the living room. They began to bow when Danny spoke, "Skip the formalities. Ember, Nicolai, are the units in place?" They nodded. "Any problems other than what happened yesterday afternoon?"

Ember shook her head. "Went invisible, found an abandoned building or empty basement, left a group, and then split."

"No problems with my groups either."

"How many units were there?" Sam asked.

"Six hundred and seventy-two," Technus replied.

Ember followed suit, "Seven hundred and ninety-one."

"Fourteen hundred sixty-three units total," Danny mused. "And you uploaded the locations into the PDAs that Sam gave you?"

Both nodded.

"Sam, call Tucker. We need the data transferred."

- - - - -

Two hours later, ten PDAs were handed over to the ghosts waiting in the basement.

"We'll keep your stations on record through this. Each of you, save for Wulf, have one hundred and forty-six units to check on, so try to cycle through the entire list every four days." Motioning for Wulf to stay, the other nine were dismissed, and Danny turned to regard the looming canine figure.

"Vin havas cent kvardek naŭ unitoj. Vidas kiel tuta farata dum la pasanta de kvar tagoj." (8) The canine nodded in understanding.

Danny rested a hand on the lupine's shoulder. "Kaj Wulf? Havu via okuloj malferma, amiko." (9)

Wulf nodded, the corners of his lupine mouth turning up into a smile. "Sama al vin, Danny." (10) Claws ripping into the air, Wulf jumped to his first unit location.

Walking upstairs, Danny dropped onto the couch, hanging his head. Jack and Maddie stepped into the room, Vlad following.

"How's it going, honey?" Maddie asked.

"Okay for now, Mom. I just hope that the ghosts are safe now that they're out of the Zone. Malhecor's already gotten his first four kills, and with us not knowing what he needs to make his escape, the less he can get to, the better." He turned to Vlad. "So, how's it going, old man? How's your old man cat doing?"

Vlad glared at Danny for a moment before turning his attention to Sam. "You must be Samantha."

Sam walked up to him and grasped his wrists tightly, "And you must be Malhecor's symbiote spirit."

Pulling away, Vlad found two-inch long steel cuffs on his arms. "What are these?!"

Danny stood. "Power binders," he answered. "The last thing we need is you going ghost. Dad explained the situation to you, right?"

"To some extent," Vlad said as he took a seat. "How am I supposed to protect myself if I can't use my powers?"

"Leave that to us. The more you use your powers, the stronger Malhecor is going to become. If we can starve him of that energy source, it'll be all the better for us," Sam replied.

"So what's really going on?" Jack asked. "Why is Vladdie in so much danger?"

"You might all want to sit down for this," Danny answered.

- - - - -

"So, part of my ghost half has been 'seeded' by this…Malhecor, and in order for him to claim my power for himself, I have to die."

Danny and Sam nodded. "That's it in a nutshell," they replied.

_Lord Phantom, is everything okay?_ Clockworks' voice resounded in his head.

_For now, yes. How are things progressing there?_

_Quiet. No sight of Malhecor emergent in any of the time-streams yet._

_Good. If anything changes, let me know, and make sure that you keep the time-streams you're watching about 24 hours ahead of us._

_Yes, my Lord._

Maddie took a sip of her lemonade, then turned to the hybrids. "Why can't you just reseal Malhecor within the prison that he's already in?"

"The seal that was used to hold him will always have this weakness, and we no longer recall the magic that was used to lock him there in the first place. If we don't finish this now, if we could manage to reseal him, we leave it to whoever inherits our powers next, and it's not guaranteed that anyone ever will," Danny replied. "His existence is a threat that needs to be removed now."

Tucker came down the stairs. "Data's been uploaded and sorted, Danny. I'm heading home."

"Be careful," Danny and Sam called out.

Tucker nodded as he stepped out the front door.

- - - - -

"Mom, we'll be home in a few hours," Danny called.

"Don't work yourselves too hard."

Danny smiled. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

He and Sam blinked out of sight.

- - - - -

Danny stood at one of the goal lines of the football field, stretching his body out in preparation, Sam doing the same thing on the other end of the field. This Friday afternoon was going to be their first combat session since the day they had first gotten their newer powers.

_You ready, Danny?_

_Yeah, I am. No holding back, okay?_

_I won't if you don't._

Taking to the air, the pair rocketed towards each other, firing bolts of ectoplasmic energy. Shields were up and down repeatedly, the bolts knocked away by the shields to fizzle out in the grass, scorch marks left in their wake. As the two neared each other, Danny dimension-shifted, teleporting behind Sam, an energy whip in hand. As he lashed out at her, shields were up once more, and Danny was sent careening across the field via a donkey kick to the gut. Recovering, he dodged her punches, countering until he got a clear shot at her. His hand met empty air as he moved in for the attack, but as he dropped into his fighting mentality, his eyes glazing over to solid white, he kicked out behind him, sending Sam flying backwards.

She charged him again, spinning and pivoting, her own whip moving to strike as her eye rolled over to crimson. Shields formed around Danny's lower arm and hand, and as the whip coiled around it, he pulled Sam towards him, delivering a vicious uppercut to her jaw. Forgetting, however, to release the whip, he was pulled up with her, barely dodging the daggers she flung in his direction. The whip dissipated, but not before Danny's arm was nearly cleft clean into, sliced deeply by the naginata that Sam was wielding.

He hit the ground with a merciless thud, silver fluid leaking from the half-severed arm, Sam continuing her attack, which forced Danny to concentrate on both healing his injuries and teleporting around the football field. His eyes slipped from white to blue as he struggled to heal the damage she'd done to his arm.

As the last of the wound healed up, the last piece of flesh sown back together by his magick, Danny kicked off the ground, his legs catching Sam in the side as she shifted next to him. She recovered in time to counter a flurry of hand-to-hand blows, yet delivering no attacks of her own.

Danny saw almost too late what she was planning to do, and immediately shifting away from her, eyes bleeding to white as he countered her attack. Simultaneously, they released their sonic attacks, his reverberating wail clashing against her ear-splitting shriek, and with a sick cracking sound, the windows of the school shattered.

Moving in sync with one another, both lost within their fighting trances, Sam and Danny were deep in the fluid world of battle. Stopping their screams, they launched mercilessly towards each other.

_It doesn't seem like you have it in you to fight me, Danny._

_Hah! What could have possibly given you that idea?_ he retorted, dodging a high spin kick.

Moving in, jumping through the dimension in nanoseconds, Danny delivered a violent shoulder tackle to Sam, the impact only lessened by her shielding.

Both drew daggers from the ethereal, launching at each other and dual-wielding silver-white blades of energy. The metallic clang of their blades rang in the air as the pair performed a dance of death, moving with such speed that, to any onlooker, the black of his clothes and the white of hers blurred and blended together so fluidly that there was naught seen but gray.

The daggers transformed into sai, the knowledge of the thousands of generations of humanity giving them the skill with which they fought. The collision of their weapons resounded in the air in a cacophony of pain, the two moving so fast and jumping so fluidly through the dimensions that when Yoniko stepped onto the site, he couldn't place exactly where the two Guardians were.

Sam noticed the priest standing at the edge of the field, the red of her eyes slowly peeling back, and her momentary diversion from the fighting mindset and her partner was rewarded with the triple blades of his sai embedded hilt-deep in her abdomen.

Danny stopped, drawing the blade back as his eyes also returned to their natural color, and Sam crumpled over, her eyes completely green by the time she hit the ground, silver blood dripping from between her fingers. The sai vanished, and Danny leaned over, his own eyes dark blue as he added his healing power to hers.

Within moments, Sam was back on her feet, Yoniko approaching slowly, a look of fear etched deeply into his features.

"Why is there sudden war between the Guardians? Has Malhecor…"

"Nothing is wrong, Yoniko. We are simply training for the upcoming battle," Sam answered. It was only then that Danny and Sam noticed the golden-edged Scroll in his arms.

"Didn't Damien have the Scroll?" Danny asked.

"It's been passed off between us since Malhecor's avatars started hunting us. The one that was after Anila just…exploded a few days ago." He handed the Scroll to Sam, who was surprised to find it so heavy, considering just how light it had felt to her before the transformation ritual. "With the death of the avatars," Yoniko continued, "I fear the worst is soon to be upon us."

Danny rested a hand on the ghost's shoulder. "Keep faith in us, young one. The Light will prevail in this battle, and we will not allow the Shadow to survive."

Yoniko bowed. "Then my faith and my trust I leave with you, my Lord and Lady. Blessings unto thee, Children of the Creatrix," he said softly before vanishing.

Danny and Sam turned to the field, the area a complete wreck after their duel. Releasing waves of silver energy, the damage was quickly repaired, and the duo vanished.

* * *

Esperanto Translations:

(1) – Phantom, I need to speak with you.

(2) – Good morning, Wulf. What is it?

(3) – The Warriors are here.

(4) – Tell them that we will be downstairs in a moment.

(5) – As you command, my Lord.

(6) – The 'ph' sound in English is like the 'f' sound in Esperanto.

(7) – Thank you, Lord Phantom.

(8) – You have one hundred forty-nine units. See how they all are doing during the course of four days.

(9) – And Wulf? Keep your eyes open, friend.

(10) – Same to you, Danny.


	21. Chapter XXI

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXI**

Deep within the silent emptiness of the Ghost Zone, far within the shadow-shrouded, forgotten regions, a single land mass floated, a majority of its surface marked with an ancient seal, the once white markings faded. A fissure formed which rent the surface of this spectral isle in two, a black mist issuing forth. As the mist flowed out over the flourishing vegetation, the plants and grass withered before turning to dust.

A soft, sinister voice spoke from within the fissure, barely above a whisper. "I need…more of them…to die. I need their power…to strengthen me. The time…of the Creatrix…and her…pathetic Guardians…is at an end."

- - - - -

Danny and Sam shot up simultaneously, the voice still clear in their minds. Getting up from the sleeping bag on the floor, Danny slid under the covers of his bed, taking Sam's shaking body into his arms.

"We're not ready, Danny. One short week of training isn't nearly enough."

Danny pulled her even closer, and noticed, as he did so, that he, too, was shaking. "We have to be ready now, Sam. We have to be ready to fight." He snuggled his nose into the crook of her neck. "We have to have faith in ourselves."

- - - - -

Maddie had made waffles for breakfast, the delicious aroma luring everyone to the table. One by one, they took their seats, were served a few waffles, and began to dig in.

As they took their seats, the Guardians noticed the numerous dents and scratches covering Vlad's power binders.

"So," said Maddie, stifling a yawn, "how's everyone doing?"

Jack looked up from his mound of waffles, a line of syrup sliding down from the corner of his overstuffed mouth, and he gave a thumbs-up. Vlad and Jazz both muttered a tired 'Okay' between mouthfuls. Danny and Sam, however, remained silent, both forlornly poking their food.

"Don't worry, Sam. I used vegan egg substitute and soy milk."

Sam looked up. "Thanks, Mrs. Fenton, but that's the last thing on my mind."

All three adults looked up, but it was Jazz who voiced their singular concern. "Something's happened with Malhecor, hasn't it?"

Sam nodded gravely. "The seal broke early this morning. He's still too weak to make his first move, though, even with his four casualties."

"We don't have any idea when Malhecor will be completely free of the seal, but we should still…" Danny trailed off.

_Lord Phantom?_

_Yes, Clockwork?_

_I presume that you have sensed the Shadow's escape._

_We have. How many time-streams has he appeared in so far?_

_Six…Wait a minute. Never mind, make that eight._

_Chances of Vlad surviving?_

_Thirty-seven point five percent._

_Thank you, Clockwork. Let me know if the situation changes._

_Yes, my Lord._

Danny looked up at the inquiring faces. "Sorry. Clockwork's been keeping an eye on the time-streams Malhecor is affecting."

"So what are you plans?"

"Not sure quite yet, Mom. At the moment, alert the town and explain the situation. That's all that we can do for now."

Maddie nodded. "What about letting them know about you and Sam?"

"They don't know it's us?!" the duo blurted out.

Jazz replied, "They're all on the theory of Danny and Danielle Phantom."

Vlad cut in, "And they're throwing all sorts of ideas around in the news about 'Danielle'," making air quotes at the name. "She's some experiment of Danny's, a ghost sibling of his, something the Fentons cooked up to help Danny…the list goes on."

Danny looked down at his untouched food. "We'll get around to telling the town soon enough. Until then, don't worry about it."

"And what do you plan to do with me, Daniel?" Vlad asked, tapping his fork against his plate. "I can't stand sitting on my hands, not having any control over my own life."

"Vlad," Danny replied, "you're not tied down to this house. We just needed to lock your ability to go ghost so that we could protect you."

"I don't care! You've taken away the one thing that I've got to defend myself with. I'm not going to sit around here, waiting to die!"

Danny jumped up from his chair. "We locked your powers to prevent Malhecor from finding you! We're not trying to trap you here or control you! We just need to keep you alive!"

Vlad stood, his face flushed. "I could've protected myself just fine! I'm not going to stay here and become some pawn of yours in this chess game you're playing!"

"Haven't you heard a word we've said?!" Danny roared. "You're not a pawn, Vlad! You're the damned king we have to protect!" Furiously, Danny shot upstairs, phazing into his room.

Jack, Maddie and Jazz took their plates, the trio leaving Sam and Vlad to talk.

"Vlad, you have to understand what we've done. The energy signature of your ghost form is a beacon for Malhecor, so without it being active, you're a lot harder to find."

Vlad hung his head, pushing his empty plate away as he sat back down. "How is it that you and Daniel are these all-powerful, all-knowing half-ghosts…"

"We're not omniscient. All we have is our ability to mind-link to others and to read their emotions, nothing more."

Vlad sighed, dropping his head into his hands. "What am I supposed to do, Samantha? I've never felt so…out of control. In twenty years, I've never been this completely helpless."

He sat in silence, allowing Sam time to eat her breakfast. As she finished, Vlad voiced a question that had come to mind. "If you and Daniel aren't all-knowing, why is it that Malhecor, your own sibling by creation, is?"

"He's not. Like we said before, your ghost half's energy is a homing beacon, one that Malhecor can sense, no matter where you are." She stood and took the two empty plates, placing them in the sink. "As for what you should do, all that I can ask is that you be patient. You being armed and allowed to fight is an extreme last resort, one that we hope beyond all reason that we never have to use."

Vlad looked at her. "I'll try."

Sam smiled as she levitated Danny's plate into the microwave.

"Samantha?"

She looked at him as he stood and walked over to her.

Vlad laid a hand on her shoulder. Smiling, he spoke, "I wish you and Daniel the best of luck."

The microwave dinged, and Sam collected the food. As Vlad headed for the lab, Sam called over her shoulder, "Your faith in us is all that we really need. Thank you, Vlad."

- - - - -

Danny was lying on his back, eyes blankly staring at the ceiling, when Sam phazed into his room, steam rising from the plate in her hands.

"Danny, I reheated your waffles."

"I'm not hungry," he replied, throwing the covers over his head.

Sam sighed as she put the plate on his desk. "Stop acting so childish. You need to understand how lost Vlad feels without his powers."

Danny sat up. "You say I'm acting childish? What about Vlad? He's acting like we did this to him on purpose."

"He's feeling just like you when I wished away your powers."

"It's not the same. I didn't remember having mine."

Sam smirked. "That's my point. He's even worse off than you were. Add that to the looming threat of death because of Malhecor, and you've got a very serious situation weighing down on him." She leaned over, slicing a piece of waffle, and taking the syrupy food in her hand, she turned her arm intangible, pushing her hand into Danny's stomach, depositing the food.

The immediate gurgle told her she'd been right. "Not hungry, huh?"

Danny growled under his breath, glaring at her. "Unfair."

Sam planted a delicate kiss on the tip of his nose, and his features softened instantly.

Sighing, Danny pulled Sam into a tight embrace, their lips meeting in a fiery crash of passion, their first kiss since their fate as the reborn Guardians had been revealed. As the two fell deeper into this necessary comfort, silver and blue-grey energy began to coalesce around them, slowly forming a tight cocoon around the pair.

Sam broke the kiss slowly, her eyes luminescent as she looked at Danny, the cocoon slowly dissipating around them. "Feeling better now, Phantom?"

"Of course not," he replied, hovering his plate into his hand. "I'm still hungry."

- - - - -

_Lord Phantom, my sincerest apologies for interrupting you, but I have some bad news._

_What is it, Clockwork?_

_There are fifteen affected time-streams at this point, and I ran any that seemed to be in your favor a few days past their initial points._

_How bad is it?_

_Vladimir only survives in two of them._

_Creatrix, help us all._ Danny muttered. _Keep me updated, Clockwork._

_I will, my Lord._

Danny blinked, realizing that, during his discussion with Clockwork, he'd phazed into the lab.

"You okay, Danny?" Jazz asked, both her and Maddie putting the final touches on two machines that vaguely resembled open MRI scanners.

"Not really. According to Clockwork, it's looking like Malhecor's somehow going to manage to get the upper hand," he answered, looking around. "Where are Dad and Vlad?"

"Your father is out in the shed, salvaging parts for the scanners. Vlad's in the guest room, getting some sleep." Maddie wiped a small amount of sweat from her brow. "We need to get these scanners done before nightfall, Jazz. Go help your father."

Jazz headed up the stairs, and Danny walked over to his mother. "You okay, Mom?"

Maddie shook her head. "This unit should be working already, but I can't figure why the scanner arm won't activate."

Wordlessly, Danny knelt down next to the unit and stuck his head into the machine's sealed base.

Maddie was taken somewhat aback by the action, especially considering that it looked as if the machine had just beheaded her son. A short sizzle was heard from the inside of the console, and the scanner arm snapped to life.

Danny stood, a smirk on his face. "One of the wires wasn't attached to the motherboard properly, but I went ahead and fixed that." He turned and headed up the stairs, a ring of blue-white light passing downward over his body, and the Danny that Maddie saw before he walked out of view was the human form that he'd recently sacrificed.

"I'll be home in a little while."

- - - - -

Danny walked up to the apartment door, his knock answered almost immediately.

"Hello, Daniel."

"Hi, Mr. Gray," Danny answered. "Is Valerie home?"

"She sure is. I'll be right back." Darryl turned around and walked into another part of the apartment.

Valerie was at the door a few minutes later. "Hey, Danny, what are you doing here?"

"Do you have some time on your hands?"

Valerie nodded.

"You mind joining me for a walk, then?" Danny turned and headed for the stairs, not even bothering to wait for her answer, knowing full well that she was going to follow him.

Turning in the doorway, Valerie called out that she was going for a walk, running to catch up with Danny.

As they stepped out into the crisp, warm air, Valerie asked a question that had plagued her for some time. "Why are your parents working with Danny and Danielle?"

Danny smirked. "Her name is Angel, not Danielle, and they're working with us ever since they were warned about an impending threat from the Ghost Zone."

"Your mom said as much."

They turned the corner, now heading towards Danny's house.

"So, Val, how's the job?"

"Same as always," she shrugged. "I'm tired of the smell of hamburgers."

"I meant your ghost hunting."

"How do you know about that?"

"Danny," he replied.

She looked at him. "Quiet. There hasn't been much activity recently, save for a major outpour a couple weeks ago."

Danny nodded. "That mass exodus was the first move made to counter the threat. The ghost is after them, too."

"So it's a ghost?"

Danny shook his head. "Yes and no. Really, he's just a ghost only for now, but once he starts killing, who knows just how strong he'll get. That's the reason that Angel and I are in need of your assistance." With that, the guise fell away, revealing the truth of Danny Phantom to Valerie. Reaching over, Danny took her hand. "We need your help. Your abilities might just help turn this war in our favor."

Valerie stood there, silent.

"I'll explain on the way."

- - - - -

"So you've had these powers for almost three years, and no one ever figured out it was you?"

Danny shrugged. "Sam and I don't understand it, either," he said, opening the front door of his house, allowing Valerie inside. "Now, the town knowing about us is pretty low on our list of priorities."

"Because of Malhecor?"

Danny nodded, looking towards the stairs as Vlad walked down them. "Rest well, Vlad?" he asked, the anger that had been in his voice earlier long gone.

Vlad nodded. "Well enough, considering." His attention turned to Valerie. "So, how's the equipment working for you?"

"Good, although I'm shocked to learn that the one who supplies me with my weaponry is half-ghost himself."

Vlad looked at Danny for a second before heading for the basement.

"Danny," Valerie began, "I want to apologize for any damage I've done."

"Don't worry about it. If you'd known, things might just have been different. Besides, Vlad's pretty good at hiding his true intentions from the people he's using, right up until he starts bragging."

Valerie sighed, "It almost makes me want to serve Vlad to Malhecor, trussed and stuffed."

Danny laughed, then sniffed the air. "Ooh, just in time for Mom's meatloaf. Come on."

- - - - -

Dinner had passed in silence, save for the laughs that followed the weird look on Jack's face when Maddie informed him the meatloaf he had so enjoyed was as vegan-friendly as the rest of the food they'd been eating. Afterwards, the group had moved to the basement, the scanners both finally up and running. Danny and Sam climbed onto the tables, resting against the cool metal as Maddie turned both machines on and headed over to the computer console.

"Ready?"

"Ready," the pair replied.

With a hum, the scanner arms on both units activated, slowly moving down across their bodies.

"So, how exactly does this ectoplasmic immunity program work?" Valerie asked.

Vlad answered with a question of his own. "I would guess that you've taken a biology class already?"

Valerie nodded.

"Then you've covered wavelengths?"

A second nod followed his query.

"Well, then, I guess the best way to explain it…Ectoplasm, in its natural form, isn't physical. That's why humans normally cannot touch ghosts. Ectoplasm does, however, share its' wavelength with three real-world energies – visible light, ultraviolet light, and microwave radiation.

"I take it that the wavelength shared with visible light is the reason we can see ghosts," Valerie quipped.

Vlad nodded in affirmation. "The similarities to ultraviolet and microwave explain, respectively, invisibility and intangibility. These similarities allow us to create a synthetic form of ectoplasm, so where ghosts resonate on only a small part of the ectoplasmic wavelength, our weapons fire on a broader range. The targeting system is the key to all of this."

"How so?"

Maddie cut in. "Danny, Sam, go invisible so we can start up the next scan."

As the scanner arms began their slow crawl once more, Maddie turned to Valerie. "The targeting system does a rough wavelength analysis to determine the proper wavelength to fire at. For example, if a ghosts' scan were to tell us that it has roughly a 25.75 Hertz frequency, the gun will fire off a blast of artificial ectoplasm that resonates at a 25 to 26 Hertz frequency."

A voice called from the apparently empty table where Danny lay, "What's keeping the guns from failing to target and lock on ghosts that are on a close frequency to us?"

"All the targeting systems are being recalibrated to five decimal places instead of the standard two. It'll take us a little longer to fire, but, at the same time, it'll give us a more precise discrimination of their wavelengths, and thereby a smaller Hertz encoding in the blasts."

"So what happens if someone points the guns at Danny or Sam?"

"The gun will verify a lock-on for the shot, but when the scan comes in, the system will recognize the ghost as a friendly and fail to create a Hertz encoding for the next shot." Maddie leaned over, looking at one of the computer screens. "Without a Hertz encoding, the gun won't be able to fire, so they could pull the trigger all they want. The gun won't work until they get an active reading."

The scanners completed their second run, and the duo became visible once again, Maddie flipping a switch on each of the units. "The barriers built into the tables will keep you from passing through them. Go intangible."

The two did as they were told, their forms taking on a vaguely transparent appearance, the scanners moving once more.

"How is it that we can see them?" Valerie asked. "If they are resonating on something similar to microwave radiation, shouldn't they be just as invisible as before?"

"We've never actually figured out why it is that ghosts who are intangible remain visible. In the end, what it comes down to is the fact that ectoplasm doesn't follow the normal laws of science, so while the encoding comes in the microwave range, it doesn't actually behave like microwaves." Maddie looked over at the half-ghosts. "Invisible and intangible," she instructed.

A ding sounded from upstairs, and Maddie headed towards the kitchen, a hungry-looking Jack in tow.

Just as the scanners finished their final run, Maddie called down into the basement, "Vanilla bean oatmeal cookies, anyone?"

- - - - -

Danny pulled a clean sheet from his closet, wrapping it around his body before dropping next to Sam. "Just out of curiosity, why haven't you talked to your parents since this whole mess started?"

"They've been away on business since the day after we met Anila, and they're not exactly sure when they're supposed to be back," Sam replied, snuggling up to Danny.

"Have you even told anyone?"

"About my powers? Just my grandmother, and I told her the day before finals, when I pit-stopped at home."

Danny blinked. "How did she take it?"

"She'd already known, even about you. Apparently, she figured it out pretty early on."

"She never said as much, though," Danny said, his arm sliding protectively around Sam as he curled up with her.

"Hey, Phantom?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Danny sighed as he nuzzled into her neck. "I love you, too, Angel."

- - - - -

Danny awoke to find Sam already wide awake, her eyes flitting over the text of the Prophecy Scroll. "What's up?" he asked.

Sam didn't even bother to look up. _I'm trying to find any information on how the Guardians initially defeated Malhecor. I'm hoping that there's something here that can afford us some small advantage._

_Any luck so far?_

_No. Other than the prophecy and the instructions for the binding ceremony, there's little else. It's basically a guide to our jobs at Guardians and the teachings for those in the Order._ Sam sighed, rubbing her temples lightly. _It's like they don't even remember how they managed to defeat him, seeing as all of this was written after their dissolution into the Gateway._

_Maybe they figured that we have to do something different and didn't want to mislead us. After all, they only weakened and imprisoned him. We have to destroy him._ Sliding out of bed, Danny gave Sam a quick hug. "Besides, we have to have faith in ourselves. I wouldn't rely too much on the Scroll giving us anything other than the things about being Guardian that we don't understand." He began sinking through the floor. "I'm going to see if breakfast is ready."

- - - - -

Breakfast passed in the same tense silence as dinner the previous night. Sam had rushed through her meal, immediately returning to her research, despite Danny's opinion on the matter. Danny had eaten slowly, as if his mind had been focused elsewhere the whole time, but no one bothered to ask what it was that had him otherwise occupied.

Danny was headed towards his room when the doorbell rang and went to answer, finding Valerie and her father there.

"Hey, Valerie," Danny greeted. "Good morning, Mr. Gray. My parents are in the kitchen," he said as he moved aside to let them in. "You're just in time for breakfast." Closing the door as they walked into the kitchen, Danny headed to his room to check on Sam.

Walking through the door, he was shocked to hear her struggling to fight back tears. "Angel, what's wrong?"

Sam turned, looking at Danny with wet, red eyes, "They didn't tell us everything."

"What?" Danny asked, his eyes scanning the Scroll where she had it open at.

Sam pointed to the text she'd been reading, and as Danny's eyes crawled over the text, his eyes went wide.

**We know of the rebirth that we will experience, though we do not know the when. The human lives that will be sacrificed to destroy the Shadow, we are well aware of, yet we cannot aid them. Know we not of how to destroy the one who was once our kin, but know we the fate of those who will be us in second life. **

**The bonds of life and death, flesh and spirit made one in perfect union, will cease the progression of human fate. The reborn Guardians will never know age, nor the pains of disease or death, for, in being of the dead, they cannot die. Great will be their responsibility in this, throughout their many years, for they will have not the power to save any other from the fate of flesh and bone.**

**They alone must choose their paths – shall they stay with family or leave them? Should they begin a family of their own, allowing their descendants to drift into the dark night of death, generation upon countless generation? Will they abandon that which they have known for years, turn away from blood and friend, so as to forgo the pain of watching those they are close to die, unable to do anything but watch as their souls are born to new life?**

**They shall be the Guardians of the Gateway, given second life, and in this, their own paths must be chosen, their fate forever and always in their hands alone.**

Danny turned to Sam. "Why didn't they tell us? Didn't they know?"

"We knew," a voice answered, "but we purposefully withheld the truth from you. Damien felt that, if we left you unawares, had you not known of the true extent of the binding ceremony's effect, you and the Lady would not have hesitated to undergo the transformation." Anlyn stepped from the shadows, a look of shame crossing her face.

"You violated our trust. A Priestess of the Order should have known better," Danny snapped.

"Damien is High Priest, and as such, I'm not to question his authority."

"Anila is in a higher position, one that is on level with Damien," Danny stated. "Could she have challenged his decision?"

Anila hung her head as she, too, entered the room. "Regretfully, I thought Damien was right in his decision, and it is the only reason I allowed the truth to be hidden. With so little time left before Malhecor's escape, and you having lost so much in being reborn, he convinced me that what we were doing in lying to you was for the greater good. I just would have preferred that we be the ones to have broken the news to you, rather than the way you have just found out about this."

"It was not a wise idea to hide the truth, Anila. As High Priestess, you know of the importance of honesty within the worlds. We're a small enough faction in the Zone as it is."

Sam piped up, "Why is Anlyn forbidden from questioning the orders of the High Priest?"

Anila looked both stunned and horrified, turning to the Priestess. "Who told you that the High Priest was above your hearts' own judgment?"

Timidly, Anlyn replied, "The High Priest did, shortly after I joined the Order. He told me that the words and commands of the High Priest and Priestess were above the mundane understandings of a lower member such as me or Yoniko."

"Why did you never mention this to me?"

"Damien told me that questioning the rules was strictly forbidden, and told the same to Yoniko when he joined."

Danny's voice dropped low, the single word spoken almost inaudibly. "Yoniko," he intoned.

The Priest stepped from the ether, bowing before the Guardians. "You summoned, my Lord?"

"Yoniko, when you joined the Order, what was told to you by the High Priest?"

Yoniko looked absolutely flustered, stumbling over his memories as to what had been told to him those many years ago. "I was told to follow the Code and Law of the Order, to forever honor the Guardians who kept the worlds in balance and security. I was told of the Prophecy surrounding your rebirth, and told that there was no higher purpose or goal within our Order than to make sure that when Malhecor broke free of his fetters, the Guardians were ready to challenge and defeat him."

"What of what Anlyn has spoken?" Anila asked. "Did Damien tell you that you were not able to understand the wisdom of the High Priest and Priestess?"

"Not in those exact words, but yes, he did explain to me that he and you were not to be questioned by initiates to the Mysteries of the Guardians, especially since only you two were worthy of being trained by the Guardians themselves."

Danny could feel his pulse start to rise, his blue eyes starting to roll over to white, his anger driving him into the controlled rage that was his battle mentality.

"What, in truth, is the relationship between the higher members of the Order and the initiates, Anila?" Sam asked, knowing that Danny was desperately trying to cage his anger. She reached over and squeezed his hand in hers, providing his stability and calm center as the white in his eyes began to slowly recede.

Anila looked down. "The initiates are to listen to the Teachings, as they have been given to us, and to learn the ways of the Order. They are also to aid the High Priest and Priestess in all the rituals. However, if there is something in their hearts that they feel is wrong or that strays from their understanding of the Laws, they can openly challenge either of us." Moving to the scroll, she unrolled it a short way before showing the text to Danny, her statement reflected, plain as day, in the script that danced beneath his eyes.

The rage could no longer be contained. "Damien Kuolema!" Danny screamed, anger roiling within him as the High Priest appeared seconds later, kneeling at the Guardians' feet.

"Yes, Lord Phantom?"

"You have violated our trust, and in blindness, led the Order to betrayal. You have abused your rank and become more an agent of the Shadow than a High Priest of this Order. Why is it that, despite the Teachings of the Guardians, to which you have devoted yourself, you ordered the younger ones to deny and reject the reason and judgment of their hearts?"

"My Lord, I felt it to be in the best interests of the Order if the initiates were kept silent. Anila and I were taught by the Guardians themselves, by you before your reincarnation and binding, in the many ages after their physical demise. The silver pool that you absorbed…Anila and I spent ages submerged within, learning within the very essence of the Guardians of what the Order was. They taught us everything that we could possibly need to learn in the hopes that we would be able to help those who would, one day, take on the mantle of Guardian when the predestined time had come."

Something was nagging at Danny, a feeling that he couldn't quite identify, but he knew well that Damien was hiding something. He could sense it, seething beneath the surface. "You bring discord and lies where there must be harmony and truth," he growled.

"I brought order and discipline, and the title of Guardian has passed on as it was meant to. What is wrong with what I have done?"

Anila looked to Damien now, her eyes scanning his. "We were taught by the Guardians. In that, there is truth, Damien, but we were told that nothing was greater than the truths of the heart, in which pure honesty lives. Why would you deny that to the initiates when Lord Phantom's spirit told you directly that the young ones would be key to our power?"

"They are too young to understand, Anila. Of that I am sure, seeing as they are thousands of years younger than either you or I, and there would be no reason for someone beneath me to challenge what I know is right."

Anila snapped back, "That is a teaching of Malhecor, not the Guardians! You know that a person's judgment is biased and based on opinion and their personal reality, developed and perfected only by speaking of it with another! Until you see more than your own view of something, your vision is flawed!" She glared at him. "And what do you mean by calling the initiates lower than you? In rank within the Order, they are our students, as we were to the Guardians, but they are otherwise as equal as you and I to each other, in wisdom and power!"

"I've never believed that."

"Because they are younger?"

Damien nodded. "They don't carry the same wisdom and experience that I do. They have not lived anywhere close to the same life."

"That is why they have the right to challenge us! If they, in their heart's wisdom, believe we are wrong, they have every right to say as much and find out why you have spoken so erroneously!"

Danny blew up at the High Priest. "You've known this, called yourself a High Priest of the Order, and yet you deny the very Teachings you were given, claiming your intelligence greater than even the Guardians?!"

"They did not know Yoniko and Anlyn. They didn't have to deal with their childish…"

"Silence!" Danny roared, the edges of his voice resonating with the beginnings of his wail. "You had no right to judge them or determine them as too childish, for it was seen as such in your eyes alone! That is not the way of the Order!"

"It is what I believed was…"

"_IT WAS NOT RIGHT!_" Danny exploded, his wail bleeding through heavily into his voice. "The Scroll itself states that what you did violated our Teachings!" Taking a calming breath, Danny finally managed to get his voice back down to a reasonable level. "Therefore, Damien Kuolema, I strip you of rank and title, and cast you forth from the Order, never to return nor be taken back within our fold."

"My Lord, I was taught the ways by the Guardians themselves and have earned…"

"I don't care!" Danny thundered. "You have turned from my Teachings! We have not the room within the Order for such treacherous disloyalty! You abused your position and took advantages of the younger members! There is no domination in the Order! There is balance!"

A glint in his eyes betrayed Damien, and Danny finally realized what the sensation was that had been nagging at the back of his mind all this time. It was the memories of the Guardian, vague, little more than feelings, but enough of such for Danny to realize that Damien had never fully been trusted by the Guardians, even after all of their years with him under their tutelage. He knew what had happened, finally deciphered the feelings and sensations that had issued from Damien every time he'd immersed himself within the Gateway pool.

"You have sacrificed your honor to the Shadow!" Danny said, grabbing Damien's cloak as he slammed the ghost against the wall. "What was the prize he promised you, Warlock?!"

Damien glared at Danny, his true allegiances now shown clearly in his eyes, "Dominion of Oblivion as an honored Servant of the Master of Shadows, to whom you two pathetic beings shall fall, as shall all things."

Danny's voice dropped dangerously low as his eyes narrowed to slits. "Then to Oblivion shall I deliver you," he said, silver light flowing around Danny's hand, and he punched into Damien's chest, the Guardian grabbing at the very core of Damien's being. Turning his pain-filled eyes from the incarnate Guardian, the last words that ever reached his ears resounded within his head. "You are hereby sentenced to eternal death within the Void of Oblivion. From there, may your cursed and desecrated soul never return to torment our kind."

With a heart-rending shriek, Damien vanished in a blast of silver ectoplasm, his circlet falling to the floor with an ominous clink.

Danny turned to Anila, his hands weaving something in golden ectoplasm. "High Priestess Anila Uzima, I put into your capable hands the training of Yoniko Kobun so that he may take his true place within the Order and at your side."

Sam leaned over, grabbing the circlet of the High Priest, and Yoniko bowed before her as she ceremoniously placed the ornate item on his head. "Wear this with pride and honor, High Priest, yet keep your heart humble and open to the truth of your brethren."

Yoniko bowed and vanished, Anila close behind.

The necklace that Danny had woven, a golden chain bearing a black orb, was placed around Anlyn's neck. "To you, Priestess Anlyn Rhyani, I give you the task of finding your partner soul, and the fourth member of the Order. Only when the new moon you bear has turned to full should you return to us."

She bowed, and like the two before her, vanished into thin air.

Collapsing onto his bed, his body still shaking in frustration, he exhaled a heavy, tired sigh as he turned his eyes to Sam. "This puts a whole new load of problems on our plate."

Sam managed a calming half-smile. "You think so too?"

- - - - -

Danny and Sam had just entered the living room when they both stopped dead in their tracks. Their eyes were open, yet unfocused, blind to the six pairs of worried eyes that turned to them.

The rift in the seal had divided further still, the one held prisoner for so many millennia now standing upon the blackened land mass, shadowed tendrils of ectoplasm floating around his body, dead eyes searching the Zone.

A horn protruded from the center of his forehead, its wicked curve following the flow of his mottled gray hair, the horn splitting in two behind his head, ending in deathly sharp points just beneath his ears. His legs were scaled and reverse-articulated, his feet the talons of a bird of prey.

"I know that you're watching me. Be grateful, you worthless slaves of the Creatrix. I cannot yet take the life of the sacrifice you will offer me. I need still more to die in my honor, but your lives, and the existence of your precious Creatrix, are over. These worlds now belong to me."

The pair blinked, their eyes finally refocusing, and two words slid almost inaudibly from between Sam's lips.

"Malhecor's free."


	22. Chapter XXII

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom _and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXII**

Within moments of Malhecor's escape, the ghost sirens were blaring, the Fentons announcing that all citizens must head to City Hall and await further instructions.

An hour is all that it took to get everyone assembled, and just ten additional minutes to set up the speakers for the crowd outside. Silence fell over the assembled as Maddie began speaking.

"Recently, I informed you of a rising threat from the ghost realm. This creature, as we have discovered, is no mere specter. He is, in fact, one of the three spirits created at the beginning of time as protectors of the human realm from any threats from the ghosts. He fell victim to the malevolent influence of the Zone and attacked the human world many eons ago. His siblings, per se, were able to seal him away, but in doing so, they also destroyed themselves." She took a deep breath, calming herself. "The seal they laid upon him broke a little over an hour ago. Malhecor has escaped."

A voice called over the crowd, "How are we supposed to fight something that strong? It sounds like more of a god than a ghost."

"Fate intervened. Danny and Angel Phantom are the reborn spirits of the other two Guardians." At this, two forms near the back stood and headed towards the stage. Danny and Sam, in human guise, proceeded slowly forward. About halfway to the stage, both teens' feet were surrounded by a ring of pulsing blue energy that ascended over them, their clothes and features changing.

A murmur rose among the crowd as Danny and Sam stepped onto the stage and turned to face the crowd, their true identities now revealed.

Maddie handed the mike over to Danny, who looked out, silent for a moment, at the people that he had protected for so long. "Now that you've been informed of the situation and the circumstances surrounding all of this, there is the matter of public defense. All members of Amity Park who wish to aid in the defense of our city and your families, we ask that you report to Fenton Works tomorrow morning for training in the use of our ghost-fighting equipment. Those who pass the field tests will be armed within the week." A few voices rose in protest, and Danny raised his hand to silence them. "Although Malhecor has escaped, he's still too weak to cross over to the human world, and the residents of the Ghost Zone have been evacuated into our world to protect them and prevent Malhecor from having anyone to hunt down. His power stems from those that he kills, and therefore, the longer Sam and I can keep him bound to that realm, the safer both worlds will be." Something caught his eye, and he touched the minds of the members of the crowd, finding that his feelings were on-key. He handed the mike back to his mother and stepped off of the stage, leaving Sam to work with his parents in answering the flood of questions that were now being asked.

He'd noticed two people absent from the gathering.

- - - - - -

His hand froze just as he moved to knock, Valerie's voice cutting through the still air, "Daddy, you're not being fair. I can help. I can…"

"I won't hear of it. What if something happens to you? Has that thought ever crossed your mind?" her dad snapped.

"Of course I have, and if something does happen, I'd rather go down fighting versus being huddled in some corner, mewling like a baby!"

"Don't you dare raise your voice to me, young lady!"

"Why don't you trust me?! You're acting like I'm five!" She choked back a sob. "You heard Mrs. Fenton! I can't stay here and do nothing!"

Danny phazed through the floor as Valerie ran from her father, slinging her pack onto her shoulders as she ran down the stairs and out of the apartment complex. As she exited the building, her suit snapped into place and she alit on her hover-board. Shooting skyward, she noticed Danny flying towards her and slowed down. "Hey," she muttered as he flew level with her.

"You okay?" he asked. "I was about to stop over and talk to you and your dad. You weren't at the assembly."

She nodded silently in response. "I know. Daddy doesn't want me getting involved at all, especially after what your parents told us. He says that the situation is far too dangerous."

"I actually agree with him about that," he said, looking down and watching the citizens of the town moving around on the streets far below, City Hall emptying out as the meeting came to a close. "I don't want to get you or anyone else from town involved in this at all, to be brutally honest, and I really wish that Sam and I could handle this on our own. The problem lies in the fact that we realized that we're going to need all the help that we can get."

Valerie turned her head, looking towards home. "He's just so scared that I might die in one of these battles, even though I'm skilled enough to hold my own."

"We all might die, Valerie. If Malhecor somehow proves to be stronger than Sam and me, and we lose this…it will all be over, and that's a truth I cannot stand having to face, but that doesn't make it go away. I've got a family of my own that I'm concerned about, if we're not careful, and I really don't know if I'd be able to handle losing any one of them." He laid a hand on Valerie's shoulder. "I know that you want to help us, and I know just how much of an asset you'd be, but you're going to be completely useless if you and your dad are at odds. Your anger won't let you focus in battle, and your hard feelings towards him are only going to serve to weigh you down.'

She looked at Danny, comfort flowing into her from his illuminated sky blues, and her shoulders sagged. "I know."

Danny smiled before pulling her into a warm embrace, "The best of luck, Val."

She turned for home, and Danny did the same.

- - - - -

All three weapon vaults were open, every weapon undergoing a test fire, routine maintenance and a full battery charge. The three remaining Fentons were busy reprogramming the gun scanners, inputting the eight variant readings that would prevent Danny and Sam from being fired upon.

Once Danny had returned, he had immediately fallen in step with his family until, per his mothers' orders, Vlad escorted him to the ops center and started Danny in the battle simulator, the enemy AI and difficulty of the program cranked all the way up. Vlad took a seat at the monitor bank, his eyes occasionally turning to the display screens, his mind otherwise occupied by the analysis readings that the computer was spitting out.

- - - - -

Sam had received a phone call just as the meeting in City Hall had adjourned. Her parents had just returned from their trip, and the tone of her father's voice implied that the news had reached him of exactly how deep she'd gotten herself entrenched in the unfolding situation.

Her shirt, now sporting slightly-flared three-quarter sleeves, blew in the wind as she landed on her doorstep. Phazing through the door, Sam found her parents sitting in the living room, and her father was the first to speak.

"How senseless can you be to have let that…that…imbecile friend of yours talk you into this ridiculousness?"

Sam's eyes closed to angered slits. She was beyond frustrated at the way that her father had constantly downed Danny. "I made this choice on my own, Dad, and it was going to happen, regardless of whether or not I knew him at all. I am what I am…"

"I don't believe you, Samantha," her father fired back. "We've been telling you for how long that that Fenton boy is a menace and a danger to you?"

She ran her fingers through her hair, her nerves already frazzled due to the situation unfolding in the Zone. "There is no we, Dad. You're the only one in this family that dislikes Danny. Mom and Grams both think that he's a great person. You're just bothered by the fact that his family doesn't live a 'normal' lifestyle because they hunt ghosts for a living. That, and the fact that you're so unforgivably superficial that you think, just because he's not rich, Danny's not worthy of me!"

"I know that family isn't financially stable, and that's the reason I don't want him to use you just because of your money."

Sam's jaw dropped. "How blind can you be? We're already working towards getting degrees in computer programming and journalism…and you know what? This is how I can tell that you never listen to a word I say. You have no idea what I want to do with my life, or that I'm not going to let myself be like you."

"What are you…"

Sam cut him off. "I'm not planning on spending my life sitting on my hands, letting my inheritance support me. I want to travel, to see the world, and then, when I'm back home, I'm going to write all about it."

"So," he retorted, "you want to spend your life as a starving artist, as a…a…writer, just to do something with your life? That's no career."

"And stuffing your face at charity banquets and looking pretty for the press is?" Sam snapped back. Her parents watched, in stunned silences, as she headed to her room.

"You know, my bubeleh has a point, Jeremy," Sam's grandmother said as she wheeled into the room. "You've never supported Sam in anything she's ever wanted to do. If I hadn't stepped in, she'd have been confined to a very lonely life of tutors and your floral print wallpaper."

"And she would have been better off. I was home-schooled, and look how well I turned out," he answered.

Ida shook her head. "You turned out pompous and overly critical of anyone with a smaller wallet and a nine-to-five instead of a hefty inheritance. Sammie's better off for being exposed to the real world instead of the fantasy you grew up in." She looked towards the stairs. "She wants to do something with her life. She has great dreams."

"So did I."

"You only talked about the exorbitant things you wanted to do, but despite all the money and time you've had, you never actually did any of those things." Reversing her scooter, she backed out of the room.

Jeremy turned to his wife, and Pamela, in reply, only sighed and looked at her hands.

- - - - -

"Valerie, I already said no. I don't want you out there at all. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I know that, Daddy, and I understand your concern, but I just don't get why you won't listen to me."

"Valerie, all that you've been saying is that you want to fight, that you want to be on the front lines."

"And what if I get hurt anyway? What if Malhecor attacks us while we're working…I don't know, on communications or something. Danny's parents already explained to you that Malhecor even _seeing_ a person makes them a likely victim."

Darryl turned to the window. "You know, your mother and I had a fight like this before she died. All she wanted was to visit her parents while we were on vacation leave from Axion, but I didn't want to go. After a week of arguing about it, she left alone, and I stayed here with you."

Valerie could hear the pain in her father's voice, but answered back, "But Mom died in a car crash with a drunk driver. You could have never known that."

"That doesn't make the situation any different, Valerie. Worse yet, I can see this, and I'm doing everything I can to be proactive so that I don't lose you, too."  
"It _does _make the situation different, Dad, and it brings up the same point I've been trying to make this whole time."

Darryl looked at his daughter. "And that is?"

"Chance. If Mom had left an hour earlier or later, if the other driver hadn't been drinking so much, if he would have just taken a cab home that night…Our survival isn't guaranteed. Tomorrow is a dream and a hope for everyone, not a promise. That's what you said at Mom's funeral, wasn't it?"

Tears began to well up in Darryl's eyes, and he looked at his daughter, the strong woman that she was becoming, every bit her mother's child. "What do you want to do, then, other than fight?"

"The Fentons want you to help with the communications and shielding equipment. I can stay there with you and help, but if anything happens where my help could be the thing to turn the tides, just let me go and fight. I can take care of myself, Daddy. I've been doing this for a while now."

Darryl walked over to Valerie and embraced her tightly. "Are you sure that you can live by that decision?"

"I'll try my best, Daddy," she replied, hugging him back.

- - - - -

"Dad, can I talk to you?"

Patrick looked up from the article he'd been reading, folded up his newspaper and set it down. "Sure, Dash, what is it?"

The youth dropped his head, seeming to study his shoes with deep intent. "I heard you and Mom talking about you going to the Fentons' place tomorrow morning. I…wanted to…to ask…" he said, falling silent.

"What?"

Dash looked to his father. "Could I come with?"

"You want to help out?"

Dash nodded. "You already told Mom that you're going to fight alongside the Fentons. I want to be able to protect her and Joey, too."

Slowly, a smile crept onto the elder Baxter's face. "You're taking on a lot of responsibility, son. Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah…Yeah, I am," Dash said, the confidence evident in his voice now. "Besides, it's time I actually did something worthy of Joey hero-worshipping me the way he does." He smirked, noticing his five-year-old brother attempting to hide behind the door to the den. "Besides, I'm his big brother. I'm supposed to look out for him."

- - - - -

Paulina dropped her form, staring at her father in disbelief. "Papí, you can't be serious!"

"I am. I want you and your mother to get out of town. I know that they told us that this ghost can go anywhere he wants, but I would prefer it if the rest of the family was as far away from Amity Park as you could get." He turned to his wife. "Maria, does your sister still live in Denver?"

Maria nodded. "Sí, she does. You want us to go there?"

"It won't mean that you're perfectly safe, but Denver's a better place to be right now, especially if the Fentons are right and Amity Park is going to be ground zero."

Paulina's voice was tinged with worry, "Papí, will you keep in touch?"

"As long as I can, sweetie, I'll call every night."

- - - - -

"If you and Dad are going, so am I."

"No, you're not. We aren't about to let you get tangled up in this. You've got to understand that you're all we have, Kwan. If something should happen…"

"Nothing's _going_ to happen, Mom. If we watch each other's backs out there, like the family we are, we'll be okay."

Kwan's father walked into the house, arms laden with groceries. "What's going on?"

"I want to go with you and Mom tomorrow, but she refuses to hear me out because I'm an only child."

"Your mother has a point. You _are_ our only child…"

Kwan looked away, dejected. "I _know_ that. Mom has done nothing but bring it up." His hands slowly balled into fists, and the hurt was evident in his eyes. "Mom said that you and she both feel that you need to fight to protect what you have, but you're trying so hard to split the family apart because of it. Isn't this family your reason to fight?"

"Kwan…" his mother whispered, her eyes glassy.

"This town is my home. I want to be able to protect that, as well as my family, if nothing more."

- - - - -

Jazz set down the bazooka she'd been recalibrating when the doorbell rang, wondering who would be at their door at this time of night. She never would have expected to find Mikey and Tucker, both looking like their backpacks were filled to capacity, waiting on the doorstep.

"What happened?" Jazz asked.

It was Tucker who answered. "Both of our families evacuated after the meeting. We stayed behind so that we could help with the communications work, seeing as two techno-geeks would be a very useful asset in terms of keeping Fenton Works up and running through all this."

Jazz smiled. Tucker was right about that. Jack was already planning on staying in the ops center, working the shielding and communications equipment, and she knew just how good he was with the machinery…which wasn't saying much for her father. She stepped aside and let the two into the living room, where they promptly began doing who-knew-what on their laptops, though she wasn't too worried about finding out. As far as she was concerned, anything to help them prepare was good enough…unless Tucker was busy playing Doomed again.

- - - - -

Now having progressed to using ten clones, Danny finally felt his body starting to tire from the extensive tax he was putting on his system. "Vlad," he called to the man sitting outside of the simulator, "we're gonna go for another half an hour or so, then call it…." He dodged under a duo of ecto-blasts, flinging a pair of ethereal daggers towards the offending enemies, hitting them dead-on in their chests. "Then call it a night."

- - - - -

"Sammie-kins, may I come in?" Pamela asked.

Sam answered without looking up from her laptop, "Sure, Mom."

The door opened slowly, and Pamela took a seat at the foot of her daughter's bed. "When you and Daniel first started dating, why didn't you tell us about your…abilities?"

Sam stopped scrolling over the latest document she'd opened and looked at her mom. "I didn't have a clue how you'd react to Danny being half-ghost. I thought Dad would have me institutionalized."

"What about when you two were abducted? You seemed like you were dodging around every question that we asked."

"We sort of explained the situation, but since we didn't know how much you'd understand, and we were just starting to understand it ourselves by that point. I honestly had no idea what to say." Sam tilted her head to the side, a look of confusion on her face. "What do you mean you thought the whole thing that day was a joke?"

Pamela looked up, shocked. "I didn't say anything."

"No, but you were thinking it enough for me to pick up on it." She moved closer to her mother, levitating her laptop onto her nightstand. "Part of this whole Guardian thing lets me read into others' hearts, to find out their real motivations."

"Oh…okay," her mother responded, sounding still surprised by the whole idea. "As a matter of fact, though, we did think it was a joke. The idea seemed really far-fetched to me, and you know how your father starts thinking when anything happens where Daniel is involved. He honestly thought that everyone was going out of their way to make him look like a fool, and to this day, he still doesn't fully trust Daniel."

Sam looked away for a moment, her eyes falling on the roses that Danny had given her what now seemed like ages ago. They were wilted, and Sam knew that she should have gotten rid of them by now, but she'd kept them, dry and faded as they were. "I'm sorry that I never said anything about this before now, and you're thinking too hard again." She looked at her mother. "If you have a question, just ask it. If it bugs you as much as this one does, I pick up on it," Sam smiled. "Danny has had his powers since just before school started freshman year, and I just got mine the night I stayed with Danny after the whole thing with the roses."

"Why did you do it?"

"I wanted to help Danny. He's had a really rough time working alone."

Pamela stood and headed out of Sam's room, stopping for only a moment at the door. "Even though your father is too conceited to admit it, he is proud of you, Samantha. And so am I."

- - - - -

"Danny," Maddie called to her son, who'd just walked into his room, "you have a phone call."

Stepping back out, Danny vaulted over the railing above the living room, landing next to his mother and taking the phone as she headed for the ops center. "Hello?"

"Good evening, Danny Phantom."

Danny recognized the voice immediately. "Good evening to you as well, Mayor Montez. How are you doing?"

"Decently, considering recent events. The reason I'm calling is because I need you and your partner to talk to the governor tomorrow. I've had your mother send as much information to my office as she could over the past few days regarding this…Malhecor, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"The governor wanted to find out exactly what's been going on in Amity Park in recent months, and when I talked with him yesterday, he said that he'd like to meet with the Phantoms of Amity Park personally."

"What time do we have to be in St. Paul, then?"

"He requested your presence at three in the afternoon. You know where you have to go?"

"Sam will be able to look it up before we leave. We'll be there," Danny said, rubbing at his eyes, exhaustion barely nipping at his consciousness. "Just out of curiosity, the governor seems to be taking the ghost factor of this town a little lightly. Does he have prior ghost experience or something?"

"You know, I asked him about that, and he said that he thought it was some April Fool's prank being pulled a little late, but it would appear he's been contacted by a division of the CIA that I didn't even know existed until recently. It seems the U.S. government has a team of experts in the field of ectoplasmic research."

"An underground division of the CIA that studies ghosts?" Danny asked with a smile, his voice tinged with the incredulity he was feeling. "What's next, Area 51 actually housing aliens?"

"I know. I said the same thing myself, but, hey, if you can get government back-up on this, all the better for everyone." The mayor cleared his throat. "Well, it's late, and we all have an early morning ahead of us. Good luck to you and Samantha, Daniel."

"Thank you, Mayor Montez, and take care."

- - - - -

"Vlad…"

Looking away from the computer screens, Vlad felt a slight flutter in the pit of his stomach as Maddie walked up to him, silently chiding himself for the blush he felt rising to his cheeks.

"Danny was up here for over nine hours. Anything you saw worry you?" She frowned in frustration as Vlad's eyes softened, and as nice as it was to have someone paying attention to her for something other than ghost hunting, her current admirer was the last person that she wanted to be around, especially considering all that Danny had told her. Waving a hand in front of his face, Maddie snapped Vlad out of his trance. "Despite how much you think you care for me, I don't have time for this, Vladimir," she said, pushing him aside, noticing the slight tic that had come with her using his full name, and scanned the monitor bank for a moment before turning to the pile of paper that had been generated during the run, and she smiled at what she saw. Nearly ten hours of the most strenuous simulations that the system could generate, and Danny's respiration and heart rate had barely changed. Apparently, there was a considerable advantage to his recent fusion.

"Maddie…"

She furrowed her brow in annoyance, his voice laden with the same sappy, over-adulating tone he'd used on her in college. "Yes?" she inquired, her vexation made quite clear in her tone.

"I've been tracking Danny's activities for some time now, and what I saw him do in the training simulator today…I've never seen him like this. He's focused, controlled, and stronger than ever. However, the most amazing thing is that, compared to how he used to be, he's not even putting a strain on himself or his abilities."

"Why do I have this nagging feeling that you weren't watching over him as much as you were studying him?"

"Uh…I…uh…"

"I thought so."

Vlad heaved a deep sigh, now knowing that whatever he did, Maddie would forever be out of his reach. She wanted little if nothing to do with him, and seemed quite unwilling to stay in his presence for longer than necessary. "Maddie, regardless of why I was monitoring Daniel, he's still shown an incredible, almost improbable, amplification of his powers."

"By how much?"

"Depends on which aspect of his ghost powers you're interested in."

Maddie felt a scream rising in her throat, biting her tongue against such rash action. "Overall, Vladimir."

"About…well, he's roughly eighty to ninety times stronger."

"That's well more than I expected, and it's a welcome relief." She turned and left the ops center, having sent the data from the computer to the lab in the basement for further analysis, taking the stack of papers with her as well.

"Only for those he's defending, Maddie," Vlad said as he glared angrily at his battered power binders. _But it's a nuisance to me._

- - - - -

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, then. Love you."

"Love you, too, Sam. Bye," came the reply from the cell before Danny hung up.

Sam clicked her phone shut, setting it on her nightstand as she plugged it in. They had a long day ahead of them, and she wasn't looking forward to it at all. Danny had been pretty vague as to why the governor wanted to talk to them, and her father had been avoiding her ever since their argument.

A knock snapped Sam back to the present, and she telekinetically opened the door for her grandmother.

"How's my little Sammie doing?"

"Fine," she answered, though her voice conveyed a deep inner turmoil, and Ida wasn't fooled in the least bit by her answer.

Wheeling over to her granddaughter's bed, she rested her hand on Sam's. "Come now. I'm old, not stupid. I can tell something's weighing you down, and considering all that's going on, it's not just this business with Malhecor."

Sam sighed, "It's Dad. I'm doing what I know I have to do, and he's done nothing but blame Danny and his family for getting me caught up in all of this." She looked into her grandmother's eyes. "I was going to get these powers when I turned eighteen regardless of whether or not I knew Danny, but he just won't listen. What makes this worse for me is, around Dad, Mom won't say a single thing, although I know she supports me in this."

"Pamela's been like that since your parents met. I think it's one of the reasons that Jeremy married her, in that he could never stand anyone saying anything at all that disagreed with his views or tried to show him that he was wrong." Ida's eyes glazed over, her mind flooding with memories of years past. "It's one trait that I wish Jeremy wouldn't have gotten from your grandfather."

"There's no way that Grampa could have been as bad as Dad is."

Ida chortled, "You never had to see the two of them butt heads. I still haven't figured out who was worse when those fights started." Ida looked away for a moment, towards the moon that was rising over the houses. "Your mum said that you've got the ability to read minds. You tried reading your father's?"

"I didn't mean to use that on Mom. She was…broadcasting her thoughts, and I just picked up on them." Sam sneered, "I'd probably get lost trying to sort through all of Dad's."

Ida opened her mouth, a boisterous, rolling laugh emitted from it, and she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Sammie, if you get lost in there, you really need help. There's not enough up there to fill a linen closet."

Sam smiled, her grandmother's laughter and humor lifting her spirits. She leaned over, taking the elderly woman into her arms, embracing her in thanks and relief.

Ida squirmed away from Sam and wheeled out of the room. "You try to get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day, but while you're out, I'll try to talk some sense into your father."

"Good luck, Grams."

"Same to you, Sammie. Good night."


	23. Chapter XXIII

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXIII**

"Hey, Fenton."

Even with his new powers, Danny reflexively cringed as he heard the school's star jock call his name, turning and smiled at him. "Hey, Dash, what are you doing here?"

"What do you think? I'm here with my dad to help."

Danny nodded and offered his hand to Dash. "Welcome aboard. We'll need all the help we can get."

"So, where do I sign up?" Dash asked as he looked around.

Danny laughed lightly. "This isn't the armed forces, Dash. You just have to let us know that you want to help. Follow me."

The two walked upstairs, Dash looking around the small house that was now overloading with people from the town that had answered the call from the day before. Quickly, Danny entered the code for the upstairs weapons vault, the large door sliding open with a beep and a metallic groan. Danny perused the racks of guns, slightly amused at Dash's expression when he saw just how much firepower the Fentons were packing. "So, you fight long-range or up close?"

Dash shook himself back to reality. "Uh, long-range for the most part, I guess."

Danny nodded, taking a pair of ecto-rifles off of their racks, slinging one over his shoulder as he checked the scope on the other. Running a quick diagnostic, he handed the weapon to Dash, repeating his check on the second gun.

"Alright, Dash, now, we'll get to your basic training."

Danny showed Dash the proper hold for the weapon, as well as how to make sure that the targeting system was operational. Once he'd gotten the basic controls down, he was shown how to switch power cells once the first one ran out.

"You're going to want to carry at least five of these things for each of your guns. The power doesn't run out that fast, but we have no idea what kind of army Malhecor might be amassing, or how, but it'll be better we're safe than sorry."

"Danny, two more headed upstairs, both long range! Mom says to give at least one of them a bazooka!"

"Got it, Jazz!"

Footsteps were followed by the appearance of Kwan and someone that was apparently related to him. "Hey, Kwan," Danny said with a grin. "It's good to see more of my own classmates here. I was expecting most of you to stay home or leave town."

"Some of us did, but I wouldn't have it, and you can ask my dad here about that. This is my town. I can't just let the people I've grown up with down. Isn't that right, Dash?"

"It's not just that, buddy. We both have family to protect."

Danny loved the camaraderie that was present in the room, smiling as he went about getting a few more rifles and one of the Fenton Bazookas. He handed the weapons to Kwan and his father, turning to the gentleman. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"Oh, right," Kwan said suddenly. "Danny, this is my father, Seo Moon Jin. Dad, this is my classmate, Danny Fenton."

"Isn't he the shrimp you've been talking about?"

Kwan and Danny both blushed, Dash laughing from his location in the armory. "Nice one, Kwan."

The youth nodded to his father. "I guess he's not the shrimp I originally took him for anymore."

Danny turned to the vault. "Dash, can you show Kwan and Jin how to operate their guns? I've got to go downstairs and talk with my mother."

"Got it, Danny."

Sinking through the floor, Danny headed for the basement.

- - - - -

"Mrs. Fenton, are you sure that's such a good idea? Besides, I thought that the guns wouldn't fire in that situation."

"We've only put the programs into the guns, but we haven't yet activated them. We figured it would be the only way for them to train, mainly because I don't think that the others ghosts would want to be willing targets. Besides, you and Danny can handle it. I saw what he did in the simulator yesterday."

"Alright," Sam said reluctantly. "We have to be gone by quarter to three."

Maddie looked over at the clock on the wall, the digital reading showing that it was currently 10:47. "I know."

"So, what's up?" Danny asked as he phazed through the basement ceiling.

"Your mom decided to use us as target practice to train the recruits," Sam said.

"This is going to be fun. The AI in the simulator wasn't really up to task yesterday."

"You sure about this, Danny?"

"Aren't you?" he asked.

"Well, I guess it's now or never then, huh?"

- - - - -

The seventy-five members of the town's new ghost hunting squad spread out through the park, taking position amidst the trees and bushes, every one of them equipped with a headset.

"Alpha Group, report in," Patrick called into his headset. "This is Alpha Leader."

"Alpha Two reporting," Dash said.

"Alpha Three reporting. We're in position," said Jin.

"Alpha Four here. Let's get this started," replied Kwan.

One by one, the remaining eleven members of Alpha Group called in. Around the park, the same was being done with Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon Groups. Alpha Group was long-range attacks, whereas Beta and Gamma were mixed-range fighters. Gamma was purely short-range, and Epsilon Group, headed by Maddie and Jazz, were purely hand-to-hand melee fighters, and all members were busy testing out the new ghost-resistant battle suits. Each was activated in the same manner as the ghost peeler, but was far less cumbersome, allowing for a greater range of motion in battle.

"All groups, this is Omega Team. Repeat, this is Omega Team. Keep your eyes peeled. We're not letting you know when or from where we're coming, and we don't plan on taking it easy on anyone. Got that, Mom?" Danny called over the comm. He and Sam, dubbed as Omega One and Two, were to ambush as much of the force as possible, making numerous clones so as to lay siege to the assembled forces. If any of their clones were to take a hit, they were to fall and disappear, but for those of the squad, a hit was to leave them prone until the end of the run. This was their first run at this, and the Fentons wanted to see just how well they could stand against a ghost attack. Maddie and Jack were, of course, looking for as small a percentage of 'casualties' as possible.

"This is Epsilon Two. Danny, make sure you and Sam turn your comms off before you start your first run."

"Understood, Jazz. Omega Team out," Danny answered, him and Sam removing their headsets and setting them in the branches of the tree they were stationed in.

"All groups, this is Epsilon Leader. Remember, your eyes and ears are only so useful. Make sure that you have your weapon scanners up and running. They might just try to sneak up on you," Maddie called out, already eyeing her unit for signs of attack. Everyone went about making sure their own scanners were one, and Kwan had engaged his none too soon. Just as the unit geared on, a blip alerted him to the fact that there was a ghost right behind him. Turning in a slight panic and firing blind, he managed to hit one of Danny's clones who, after absorbing the energy to keep from getting hurt, slumped to the ground before vanishing. Three more shots were heard from across the clearing, and two of Sam's clones and another of Danny's fell.

Maddie and Jazz both saw the blips on the wrist-mounted scanners they wore, turning as clones of Danny and Sam charged them, Danny nearly catching his mother in the chin with a flip kick. She dodged out of the way, kicking Danny as she landed on the ground, sending him careening into a nearby tree. Sam had managed to knock Jazz off of her feet with a well-timed sweep, but Jazz had rolled with it and was back on her feet in an instant.

Jin and Kwan were busy taking long-range shots at the clones, members of Gamma Group having moved in to watch their backs. Jin turned as he saw something out of the corner of his eye. "Delta Leader, this is Alpha Three. Tell your people to watch out for the ghosts coming in from the southeast. Looks like a lot of 'em."

"Thanks, Alpha Three. You heard him, team. Let's change vector." At this, nine members of Delta stepped into the clearing, mowing their way through a few more of the clones to get back under cover on the other side, lying in wait. The first batch of clones had to be taken down by sheer trust in the scanners, as they'd attacked while invisible.

It seemed to be going too well for the defense teams, and, as all things go, when someone said as much, that's when the situation got turned on its head.

"Um, this is Alpha two. What's going on? We're out here wiping the floor with these two. Any idea why they're taking it easy on…Aaaaaaaah!" Dash was suddenly knocked prone, hit in the chest hard with a numbing ecto-ray. Dash, following practice protocol and partially stunned by the blast, remained on the ground.

More screams were heard as Danny and Sam's renewed attack mowed down nearly all of Gamma Group, then turned and launched an attack from all directions. Many of the clones fell once hit, though a few more members of the groups were taken down by the ghosts' paralyzing blasts.

"All units, this is Epsilon Leader! They're attacking with ecto-rays! Keep your eyes open, and for the love of cookies, Jack, would you just keep moving!"

The practice run continued on in this fashion for over three hours before Danny retrieved his headset and called for a halt, and he and Sam counted the fallen defense team members. Once everyone was accounted for, they were told to return home until later that afternoon, when they'd report to Fenton Works to find out how they'd done.

Once the Fentons entered their house, three of them fell to the couch, bone weary. Jazz and Maddie both hit the release buttons on their suits before sitting, both of them covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Jack, too, was looking worn out, having not had to dodge and weave this much since grammar school dodgeball. Kneeling on the floor before the trio, Danny sent out waves of healing and cleansing energy, refreshing his tired family. They looked at him in thanks before Maddie spoke up.  
"So, what was with the initial attack and two subsequent attacks being hand-to-hand and close quarters? You and Sam are both able to fight with ectoplasm, so wy didn't you use it?"

"Certain ghosts don't fire ectoplasm, and I doubt that Malhecor's going to be putting his faith into all of the ghosts that I've fought before. I just know that there are certain ones that he'll never be able to control."

Maddie's eyebrows raised in question, soon followed by everyone's in the room, including Sam's.

"What are you talking about, Danny?" Sam was utterly puzzled by this, knowing full well that there shouldn't have been any sort of difference in knowledge about Malhecor.

"I did this without anyone knowing, Sam, even you," Danny replied, giving Sam a look that stated that she'd thought too loudly. "I made sure to ask the Warrior about it before doing so, and each one of them agreed. I embedded a small portion of my power into each of them, so that if there ever comes a time when they are falling to Malhecor, instead of turning into one of his minions or being sentenced to Oblivion, they…well, they explode."

"So you're saying that all of those ghosts that we've trusted to protect the others are walking time bombs?" Jazz asked.

Danny looked at his sister. "In a way, yes, but they can only set off the detonation when the possibility of their annihilation is imminent."

"You trust them enough, even though they've been your most bitter enemies before this?" The thoughts were running rampant in Jazmine's head, and she was becoming so flustered trying to figure out exactly what her brother had been thinking that she started to turn red, both in anger and frustration with herself. Never, in all her years, had she heard of Danny doing anything quite so stupid, and was starting to wonder exactly what had gotten into him.

"Jazz, settle down. One thing about having these powers is that you are able to see into the hearts and minds of whoever may talk to you. They are all more concerned with trying to save themselves and the rest of our kin than with taking over anything. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

She nodded her head, pulling her chin into her chest, trying to calm herself.

"Hey, Danny, while we're sitting around here recovering from today's practice, how'd we do?" Jack couldn't mask the excitement in his voice, both proud and giddy that, despite his size, he had survived the mock assault.

"Well, all in all, it wasn't that bad, considering Sam and I had you outnumbered fifteen to one, the casualties weren't as bad as I was expecting. Alpha Group lost four, Beta Group lost nine, Gamma lost all fifteen, Delta lost two, and Epsilon lost only one." At this last comment, Maddie blushed, as she had been the one member of Epsilon that had been taken down. Her saving grace was that it wasn't a hand-to-hand combat loss, but a misaimed and mistimed blast from one of the guns in Delta Group. "Still, that's about forty-two percent of your forces in just one siege attack. Almost needless to say, though, is the fact that there was a one hundred percent down rate among our clones."

The phone rang, and Sam picked up. "Hello?"

"Good afternoon. Are Daniel Fenton or Samantha Manson there?"

"Speaking."

"Hello, Samantha, this is Mayor Montez. How are you doing today?"

"I'm alright, and yourself?"

"Just calling to ask about the defense test you were running in the park today."

"Ghost casualties were at one hundred percent, and the defense team suffered a forty-one-point-three percent loss."

"They will be working to improve that, correct?" The concern was thick on his voice.

"Yes, sir, they will. We're resuming the drills tomorrow morning, so we're going to let them rest up for today, considering we have to be in St. Paul in about half an hour. Take care, Mayor."

"You as well."

Sam hung up the phone. "Hey, Danny, let's get our butts out of here so that we don't' end up getting hung up in St. Paul. Last thing we need is the governor mad at us for being late."

Danny nodded slightly, and, bidding farewell to his family for the moment, he and Sam walked out of existence.

- - - - -

"Right this way," the officer at the door said. "The governor is expecting you."

Danny and Sam followed the man into the governor's office, showing them in and greeting the governor before leaving.

The governor looked over the pair for a moment. "It's a pleasure to meet you two. I'm Governor Jonathan Lurasenic, but you can call me John." He looked over the pair for a moment. "I have to admit, I was expecting someone a bit older."

Danny shrugged. "Had certain events not taken place when they did, we'd have been a little older by the time Malhecor escaped," he said, his eyes turning to the two white-suited figures waiting on the far side of the room.

"Oh, my apologies, young man," the governor said, "These are the agents that Mayor Montez mentioned to you."

"Right – the CIA agents that study paranormal activity. It's a pleasure to meet you two as well."

"Likewise, although your existence does put a lot of our previous knowledge about ectoplasmic entities into question."

Sam smiled slightly. "No evidence prior to us that humans and ghosts can co-exist in the same body?"

"Basically," the one on the left replied.

"Come now. Introduce yourselves," the governor motioned towards Danny and Sam.

The agent on the right spoke, "I'm Agent Delta, and this is my partner, Agent Beta. We're the senior officers of the Guys in White."

"Guys in White?" Sam questioned.

"Some bureaucrat's twisted idea of a joke when we were formed," Beta responded. "They considered ectoplasmic entities as unreal as aliens…"

"So they made your division title a turn on the 'Men in Black'," Danny finished.

Both agents nodded.

"Well," the governor interrupted, "we have much to discuss and not much time to do so. I've got a lot more business to take care of before I have to leave for the day."

Danny nodded before beginning a run-down of the happenings of the last few weeks. Partway through, he was interrupted and asked to give a more detailed description of the events surrounding the Order of the Guardians and the eventual demise of Damien. Twenty minutes later, the three adults in the room were thinking over what had just been presented to them.

"Pardon me for being intrusive, but what exactly set you off in the direction of discovering Damien's treachery to the Order?" Delta asked.

"Like I said, it was a feeling at first, one that kept nagging at me, but as time went on, I began to realize that I'm finally deciphering the memories of the Guardian to whom I was bonded. Sam's been going through the same thing. As I have _also_ stated, we've already realized that what happened the first time to Malhecor can't be repeated. If it were to be, it would just leave us waiting a few more millennia until he escapes again and threatening a different populace."

Delta nodded. "So is there anything that we would be able to do to aid your efforts in Amity Park?"

"If you have any sort of technology that can support or exceed what my parents created," Danny said, "you're welcome to bring it and whatever forces you can spare. I don't expect much, considering how small and obviously secretive your particular division happens to be."

"We're small, that much is true," Beta said with a stern smirk, "but we do have ways of appropriating the…necessary forces to handle situations like this. We'll talk to our superior and see if we can't get a couple of special ops troops in the city as well."

Sam looked up at the agents. "Is the United States the only country with this kind of underground research division?"

"No. Why?"

"Because just like Danny and I," Sam said as she dimension-shifted clear across the room, "there's no limit to where Malhecor can go, and we've got ghost refugees all over the planet. The last thing we need is our own country fortifying itself and Malhecor ending up on a killing spree in England or Russia because they had no advance warning. We're going to need you to get in contact with all of the other ghost-hunting enforcements."

"We'll get right on it. Governor Lurasenic, it was a pleasure dealing with you." Delta shook hands with the governor before turning to Danny and Sam. "Despite protocol and basic differences between us, it was fortuitous that you came forward with this information when you did, and we are glad to have met you. Maybe our meeting will help turn the tides of this coming war you've warned us about, and in your favor. May your Creatrix be with you."

"And She with you," Danny replied. "Thank you for all of your help."

"Just understand this – when this whole situation dies down, hopefully to our desired end, we do want you two to report to our headquarters and undergo a couple of evaluations," Beta commented.

"Nothing invasive?" Danny asked.

"Of course not," Delta replied with a dismissive wave. "It's completely voluntary. We only need to understand exactly how you two are harbingers of ectoplasmic energies without having been completely killed in the process of attaining these forms."

"Will do, Agent Delta, and let your supervisors and whoever else that needs to know that replication of what we are is impossible. We are the only two with the soul seeds, as we call them, which gave us the ability to survive the transformation." Danny and Sam shook hands with the agents, then turned back to the governor as the others left.

"Well, this meeting went better than I had expected, and the agents were a lot more…relaxed about meeting you than they seemed over the phone when I called them about this a few days ago."

"They've probably been using the time to run basic background checks on us, not to mention they've probably done their fair share of surveillance. It wouldn't surprise me that they'd want to find out if they could trust us or not," Danny said, looking out the window. "I just hope that everything we're doing is…" his voice died away.

"I know how you feel. I've been here long enough to be afraid of losing everything I have, too," John smiled. "I have to admit, despite your assurances and your apparent age, despite being the incarnations of the Guardians, I feel a little apprehensive putting my fate in the hands of a couple of teenagers."

A rift of light opened, and two forms bowed down to Danny and Sam. The first to show their face was Anlyn, the once-gold necklace that hung around her neck now glistening silver, its black moon now shimmering and having turned to full. The second stood slowly, pulling the cowl of his new robe from his head, running a hand over short silver hair, his grey-blue eyes shimmering.

"Tsuriai Shinrai," Danny said, his eyes locking onto the youth, "but that's not the name you bore when you died. Your names now mean 'balance' and 'faith'. Why did you change your name?"

Tsuriai looked up at Danny, meeting his gaze, silently allowing Danny's probing touch to delve into the deepest parts of his consciousness. After a moment, Danny smiled, turning his eyes to Anlyn. "You have done extremely well to have found him. He knew, at death, where he belonged as one between worlds. Go, take him before Yoniko and Anila, present him as the fourth of our Order, and have him trained. I will send Clockwork to collect you." His hands flashed for a moment, breaking the bonds of space, and Danny brought forth the Scroll. "Take this, and keep it protected with you. I will send word when this war has been won."

Closing his eyes, he sent a message to Clockwork as the two bowed and disappeared. _Clockwork, collect the Order members and take them to your tower. Keep them safe, and once they are all there with you, sever all ties to the worlds. Break even the link with me. Lock yourselves away. I will find my way back to you._

_As you wish, Lord Phantom, so shall it be done. May you and Sam walk in grace with the Creatrix._

_Blessings of the Creatrix upon you, my friend, and good luck._

Danny opened his eyes, nodding to the two in the room. "Now, we have nothing more to do than to train and wait."

"Good luck, Danny and Sam Phantom," the governor stated, quite obviously unfazed by the proceedings that had just taken place, "and take care."

Danny took the circlet that connected him to Clockwork, crushed it in his hands and then blew it apart. "We will."

They disappeared.


	24. Chapter XXIV

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXIV**

It had been three days since they'd met with the governor, and things were definitely looking up. With the added contingent of twenty special ops soldiers sent in by the government, they'd been utilizing their advice to help their own troops get better in the field, and had begun running their attack simulations as continuums, leaving the 'fatalities' out of the battle. Within the practice runs, they'd gotten worlds better in a very short time, and over the course of five attacks, only eleven people had fallen, comparative to all of Danny and Sam's clones, who, as the days went on, began using more powerful attacks and better stealth maneuvers.

Obviously pleased with the results, Danny called for a halt to the practice sessions for the day, calling all those who were in the defense force to report to City Hall. Now that they'd gathered only those that were on the defense team, there were a lot less people to accommodate in the building.

"Good afternoon," Danny began. "First off, I'd like to say congratulations and thank you to each and every one of you. Thanks to your efforts, I really do believe this town, and the rest of the world, will stand a better chance should Malhecor's attention turn to our realm. To those thirteen, counting the two we 'lost' just an hour ago, don't let the fact that you were put out of commission get you down. Now that you know, you have more of a chance than you might recognize.

"The reason that I've called this meeting is simple. There have been a lot of you that have been thinking about what's going on here, wondering why it is that you're drilling for the arrival of a creature that, as of yet, is not strong enough to even leave his current prison." Danny looked out over the expectant faces, catching sight of Sam walking up the center aisle as the last of the defense team took their seats. "Sam and I both wanted to make sure that if our plan should fail, there would be someone on the human plane that we were sure would be able to defend their homes and families." He paused to take a breath. "The plan that I refer to is this: Malhecor is trapped in the ghost dimension, his four kills having not provided him with enough energy to cross into our realm. Sam and I are going to take the fight to him, and we hope that, in doing so, we can destroy him before he ever manages to cause harm to anyone else."

A single hand was raised, and Sam motioned for the person to stand. It was Jazz.

"What do you mean you _hope_ that you can destroy him? If he's as weak as you say, isn't your victory guaranteed?"

Danny shook his head. "I really wish I could be confident enough to say that, but I can't. Malhecor has found a way to shadow our eyes towards him, so we don't know if he's been biding his time, letting us walk blindly into a trap and our own demise. As far as we know, he's just as powerful and unlimited in his abilities as we are, as the souls we carry were all born of the same source."

Jazz nodded and took her seat, and Danny was about to call the meeting to a close when a voice called up from the back, "I have a question."

Danny and Sam both looked up to see Ida in back, a worried look crossing her face.

"Grams, what are you doing here? I thought Mom and Dad left with you yesterday," Sam asked worriedly.

"I stayed behind. I may not be able to fight, but this is my hometown and you're my granddaughter. I'm not leaving." The look in her eyes was evidence of the depth of her words.

Danny looked to her. "What is it that you want to ask?"

"Between all that's been going on, and what I've heard from Samantha, it seems that many of us have been wrong for quite a few years. It seems all our faith has been walking blindly down the roads of humanity's words."

Sam and Danny were both taken aback, confused, and wondering where exactly this was going.

Ida looked at Sam, "You've mentioned it before that you, Daniel, and this Malhecor were all formed of the same primal energy…" Her eyes clouded over slightly, pained. "Formed by a Creatrix."

Sam realized then what was plaguing her grandmother, for she, like her and her parents, was a believer in the Jewish faith, and of the God that their faith taught existed. With the presence of a Creatrix, a female power presiding over the world, all that she knew was being put into question, and what made it worse, Sam realized as she touched her grandmother's mind, was that it put to question where, exactly, Ida's late husband, Sam's grandfather, currently was.

"I don't know what to say about that, Grams, and I'm really sorry that I don't. I hope that I can answer that at some point, but until then, just keep faith in what you know. It's gotten us as far as it has already, regardless of its validity."

Ida bowed her head, and both Guardians could tell that she was struggling with this question still.

"If there are no more questions, Sam and I will be on our way." He toggled a radio strapped to his waist. "We'll be in touch. Make sure that you're ready to move at a moment's notice. As we stated, we have no idea of what Malhecor has in store for us."

At the resounding silence around them, they nodded. "Be safe," they called as they disappeared into thin air.

- - - - -

A slight crackle of static sounded from the earpiece Danny was wearing, and his mother's voice came through. "How does it look?"

Eyes scanning the Ghost Zone, only one word came to mind: "Empty." It was depressing to see the area like this, devoid of the pseudo-life that usually filled it. Opening his mind to the energy flow of the realm, he was reaffirmed that every ghost had been taken clear of the Zone, safely tucked away in earthly hidey-holes. "We're nowhere near where Malhecor's prison is, but only because we figured a brief run through here would get out any stragglers from the original exodus."

"And how's that going?"

Danny smiled, turning towards Sam, who was silently soaring through the ectoplasmic mists that populated the area that they were in. "Looks like we did better than we expected. We're not sensing a single entity here except for the one massive surge where Malhecor is."

"That sounds like he's expecting you, Danny," his dad called out. "Aren't you a little concerned?"

"Not really, Mr. Fenton. The only reason that we're reading Malhecor so strongly is that he's sort of like us. He was once a Guardian, so he's automatically going to have a stronger resonance than other ghosts we've faced." Sam had just recently turned on her radio, and had answered right before Danny. "Is everyone there on stand-by?"

"Waiting and ready for any signal."

"Good. Make sure that you distribute this signal to the five group captains. Also, make sure that you tie our communications into one of the computers. We need to make sure that the government has a record of this."

"Wait…why?" Jazz asked, both surprised and concerned at this.

"We got a call late last night," answered Sam, "and they want to have a record of as much of this as possible, if for nothing more than public record."

The voices fell silent on the other end, and Danny and Sam, now sure of the vacancy of the Ghost Zone, shifted from their location to just a mile shy of where Malhecor was. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination, but they had taken it cautiously, not knowing what their adversary would have lying in wait for them. Surprisingly enough, there was nothing there, and they found Malhecor sitting silently on the edge of the floating island that had held him for so long.

"So, you've finally come," Malhecor said, eyes remaining turned downward. "It's been ages. Things have changed." Snapping his head up, he glared at the two. "And in that time, I have seen much, and I have seen your downfall in my mind, brought not only by my hands, but by the foolishness of your own choice to bind yourselves to human forms. Don't you realize that there is no point in fighting me?"

"There is always a point in fighting, for as long as we remain, there is something that must be defended against those like you," Sam snapped.

"Ah, as always, you view the shadow of Oblivion as a threat. I know otherwise. I know of the power of the Void, and it is…"

"Not yours to control. Nothing can control the emptiness that Oblivion is," Danny cut him off. "All these millennia and you still don't see the folly of your ways."

Green light glinted off of his hollow black eyes, the emptiness within them so deep one could drown in the despair they showed. Standing slowly, Malhecor drew a single smoky grey blade from the ether. "Well, then, a duel, I suppose? Is that how you fight?"

"We fight as we must, to protect what is important. If your terms are a duel, then so be it, but do not expect us to back down."

Malhecor smirked. "You just fear what you do not understand, and you do not trust it."

"History does not look upon you with more than fear and hatred, so what should make us believe that a few thousand years bound has changed your outlook? You've already said that our time has ended."

"And so it has, you fools," he said, raising his blade in a mock salute. "And I bid you farewell."

Like a bolt of lightning, Danny and Sam pulled their own weapons from the ether, the pair deflecting the flurry of attacks that Malhecor thrust at them, his attacks moving so fluidly that the Guardians were hard-pressed to keep up.

Thrusting low and striking high, Malhecor drew a second blade from the ether, dual-wielding against the single blades of Sam and Danny. Delivering a low kick to Sam's midsection, his talons mercifully not cutting into her flesh, sending her careening away, Malhecor quickly turned both blades against Danny, who shifted a few feet backwards, giving him time to both draw a second blade and allow himself to slip far enough into his fighting mentality to be able to stay a few steps ahead of his opponent.

Blades met, the fury of battle igniting sparks as the blades met. Parrying high, then low, quickly turning Malhecor's attack into a retreat, Danny's eyes clouded over, the white in them shot through with thin lines of silver. Pressing the attack, Danny's blade glinted silver and green, dancing with the combining energies of his ghost powers and his Guardian spirit. Stabbing and slashing at his opponent, Danny managed to get a few of his attacks through Malhecor's defense, landing a glancing cut on his shoulder that he seemed to shrug off, a few other cuts that caught nothing more than the tattered rags that covered his body. One stab managed to cut into his thigh, slicing deep into his leg, the resulting wound gushing vile tar-like blood.

One of his blades dropping into smoke as it feel from his hand, Malhecor howled in pain as he gripped his leg, dark energy coalescing around his thigh, barely able to bring up his remaining sword in time to parry the forceful advance that Danny was now making, the Guardian using Malhecor's sudden weakness to its full advantage.

Bringing the sword down with all his strength, his eyes now completely whited out, the sword glowing with a blending of energies, Danny drew from the ghostly powers as well as the Guardian spirit now alive within him. Malhecor recoiled, landing awkwardly on his remaining good leg as he jumped away.

Suddenly, a bolt of silver light shot between the two battle-locked warriors, and both turned, confused, to where the light had originated. Sam had gotten her bearings not long after being knocked away, and had opted to remain clear of Danny's lethal blade, the memory of his sai still fresh in her mind. Reaching into the ether, she had chosen not to wield a blade, as had become the standard, but to use a bow, melding the arrow she'd fired from her own ectoplasmic energy.

Turning the bow a notch towards Malhecor, she coalesced another arrow, already nocked against the silver string. Releasing her grip, the arrow blazed towards the former Guardian, catching him in the upper arm, and he howled in pain, nearly losing his grip on his remaining sword.

Danny raised his blade once more, aiming to deliver a crushing blow to his foe, but Malhecor recoiled and landed a solid punch in Danny's stomach, making him double over in pain.

Standing, Malhecor charged towards Sam, the remaining blade smoking both with the dark energy that formed it and from the cursed blood that ran down his arm, hissing against the ethereal metal. Sam morphed her bow into a pair of daggers, having trained more in two-weapon defense than in single. Her purple eyes began to bleed over to red, preparing to go on the defensive only long enough to get used to Malhecor's particular style of fighting. Her chance, as well as the protective maneuver she'd been planning on, were destroyed before she'd even had a chance to raise her weapons, Malhecor having morphed his weapon as well, the sword he'd been using turning into a rather long spear, its diseased blade cutting deeply into her arm.

Screaming in pain, Sam spun away from the baneful weapon, gripping her arm tightly with the opposite hand, her eyes flaring over to blood red, then deeper, looking closer to black than Danny cared to see. Shifting from place to place, she evaded each of Malhecor's weapons, varying from thrown daggers and sai to various chains and bladed whips, striking with her own whenever her raging blood-thirst showed her an opening in his attack.

Danny stood, looking towards where the fight had morphed into a bloodbath, watching fearfully as silver and black blood covered the bodies and clothing of the two, dripping into the vast emptiness that surrounded them all. Standing, having caught his breath and regained his composure, he reached into the ether, producing from it a weighted and spike-covered chain, two handgrips placed just shy of where the spikes began to coat the metal. Wrapping the central part of the chain around his arms once, he took hold of the handgrips tightly, about to charge into the fray, when a hand latch securely onto his shoulder.

Turning, he was startled to find a pair of lupine eyes staring back at him, claws just beginning to emerge from furred, muscular hands. "Wulf, kio estas vi farando tie ĉi?" (1)

Looking silently towards the ensuing massacre that was taking place a short distance away, he replied, "Mi venis al helpi." (2)

Danny shook his head, readjusting his grip on the chain as he moved the center of the chain over his shoulders. "Tie estas tro danĝero." (3) He moved away from the looming figure, watching for the proper moment to shift and strike.

Both shoulders were weighed down, Wulf not only holding Danny back physically but also allowing his claws to cut into the Guardian's flesh, causing him to flinch slightly. Danny bowed his head in defeat, knowledgeable of the fact that Wulf's claws would not allow any sort of extra-dimensional movement.

Softly, the shaggy beast brought Danny's mind full-force to the situation at hand and how desperate it had become in such a short time. "La Sinjorino estas dolorigis. Vi havas foriri el tie ĉi kaj zorkas de ŝin." (4)

Finally looking with the eyes of Danny Fenton and not those of a Guardian charged with the safety of the human race and the souls of those who had passed, he saw the futility of what he and Sam were attempting, especially with her injured as she was. Actually looking at her with the eyes of he who loved her, and not of her brother Guardian, his heart near to broke seeing her battered, bruised and near to fainting at the immense amount of blood she'd already lost. "Sam…" Her name fell from his lips, near silent, and he knew that he had to get her out of there immediately.

"Kio estas vi irando fari?" (5) Danny asked, his voice having lost most of its bluster and volume quite drastically.

"Vlad estas ne malkomenca. Malhecor estas ne tuta. Mi malhelpas lin." (6)

Danny's eyes went wide, fear filling the glowing blue orbs. "Wulf, mi ne havas vi farando ĉi tiu. Me ne iranta perdi fi." (7)

Wulf bowed his head, silently showing his defiance.

Danny touched the barest fringe of Wulf's consciousness and knew that there was no way for him to convince Wulf to recant. Despite this, he wasn't ready to say farewell to someone he'd grown so fond of, and especially so soon after meeting him in the first place.

"Iru, mia Sinjoro. Mi malhelpas la diablo." (8)

Danny shook his head, then felt the release of Wulf's imprisoning claws, immediately shifting from where he was to Sam, grabbing her, and shifting back to his position near his canine compatriot, and he had to put everything he had into restraining Sam, her bloodlust rage so deep that she began to attack Danny, etheric blades spilling silver blood on his obsidian clothes. Stabbing into her mind with his own, he caught on to her, latched onto Sam, hung tightly onto the girl inside of the gore-splattered thing in his grip. _Sam, come back to me. Let go of this anger. You're only letting yourself fall into his trap. He's trying to pull you into Oblivion. Can't you feel it within you, the pull of the Shadow on your heart?_

Danny looked up only in time to shift clear of Malhecor's latest assault, then kept repeating the action as their sibling launched attack after attack at them, all while keeping a tight grip on the raging form that contained the woman he loved. _Sam, return to me. Come back to me. Let go of the darkness that has claimed your mind. Give your heart to me again, find the love you have for me. We can't let him win. You have to release this wrath, end this carmine frenzy you've been trapped in._

Suddenly, both of Malhecor's wrists were stopped, held at his sides as a snarl escaped a fanged snout held precariously close to his ear.

Danny felt Wulf reaching for him and opened his mind in reply.

_Iru, kaj fari ne havi mia malkomencando esti malplena. _(9)

Hearing the desperation and determination in his words, the Guardian reached out, touching the mind of a friend gone far too soon, and bade him a final farewell. _Estas ĉe paco, mia amiko._ (10)

A single tear fell from Danny's illuminated sapphire eyes as he and a frenzied Sam disappeared from sight.

Wulf closed his eyes for a moment, whispering a solemn prayer to the Creatrix before unsheathing his claws directly into Malhecor's sides.

Shrieking in anguish at his failure to kill the Guardians and his weakness to this simple creature, the tortured child of malcontent arched backwards, the sharp points of his cloven horn stabbing into the great wolf's snout.

Releasing Malhecor in response to the immense pain, Wulf soon felt the bite of a defiled blade slice through his midsection, and razor-sharp talons caught him in the chest as he fell to his knees, green blood seeping from the wound.

"What will you say, foul beast? What last words do you have to the one that will take your afterlife and claim the remains of your existence to power himself? What will you say to the one who will cover all lands in the hollow void of Oblivion?"

Wulf snarled viciously, saliva frothing at the corners of his mouth, eyes blazing with a defiance that Malhecor could not understand. "Kisas mia glutea, vi filhundino." (11) As Malhecor raised a curved dagger above Wulf to finalize the sacrifice, a silver light ignited from within Wulf's chest, expanding outward until Malhecor was thrust off of him, and the fallen Guardian watched in despair as the one who would give him the strength to finally escape the Ghost Zone vanished, having sacrificed himself in a final act of defiance.

- - - - -

Danny clung to Sam, tears falling from his eyes, having sensed the spark of power that he'd implanted within Wulf explode. It tore at his heart with the force of star gone nova, and he clung to Sam desperately, almost missing the single word that slipped from her lips as he bowed his head into her shoulder, letting the torrent of pain escape his eyes.

"Wulf…"

* * *

Esperanto Translations:

(1) – Wulf, what are you doing here?

(2) – I came to help.

(3) – It is too dangerous

(4) – The Lady is already injured. You have to get away from here and take care of her before all hope is lost.

(5) – What are you going to do?

(6) – Vlad is not dead. Malhecor is weak. I will handle him.

(7) – Wulf, I can't have you doing this. I'm not going to lose you.

(8) – Go, my Lord. I'll handle the demon.

(9) – Go, and do not let my sacrifice be in vain. (Literally "Do not let my ending be empty.")

(10) – Be in peace, my friend.

(11) – Kiss my ass, you son of a bitch.


	25. Chapter XXV

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom _and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXV**

Stumbling into the front door of the Fenton residence, Sam and Danny collapsed to the floor, silver blood congealing on the floor from Danny's many wounds. He immediately summoned up as much of his healing power as he could focus, repairing the damage that Sam had dealt while in her rage. Sam knelt over him, adding her power to his own, ignoring the searing pain that kept shooting up her injured arm. As the last of the wounds sealed themselves shut, the scars disappearing under the glowing light of their power and his clothing reformed itself, Danny stood.

Taking Sam's arm into his hands, weaving his magick around the wound, it slowly sealed up, a sick black ooze leaking out, seemingly running from Danny's power. A flash of memory, a blur of visions streaming before his eyes, and he suddenly intensified the feed of energy, Sam wincing at his actions. The poisoned ooze fled before the massive charge, and Danny formed a cup of energy, catching it as it fell from her arm.

The wound quickly healed, yet the scar remained, a red line running across the outer half of her arm, a carmine tattoo forever reminding Sam of the first battle. The two stood as Jazz rushed into the room, carrying a small water basin. Wringing a couple of washcloths, she handed them to the couple, and the washed off the remaining blood that marred their clothes and bodies.

"What happened? The soldiers are still on stand-by, waiting for your orders."

Sam toggled her radio to make sure that it was transmitting. "All units, stand down. We're back to waiting. We haven't won, but neither has he. I'm sorry."

"He…won…well, sort of," Danny replied, scrubbing a line of silver from his black pants. "He's not as strong as he could be, or I wouldn't have been able to heal Sam's cut. He _was_ expecting us, though."

"So where is he now?" Jazz looked at the two, noticing the scar on Sam's arm.

Their eyes clouded over momentarily, and it was Sam who answered. "Still in the Ghost Zone, recovering."

"So you did some serious damage? That's good. It'll at least keep him at bay until…"

"You don't get it, Jazz," Danny cut her off. "We didn't really do that much to hi. Sam managed to get in a few hits, but…Wulf…he…" Danny's voice shattered, his eyes sliding through a varied blend of colors. "We didn't do nearly enough. He was stronger than we expected, and his weapons nearly drove Sam to insanity. The only reason we didn't lose completely is that Wulf sacrificed himself to get us out."

"We weren't prepared," Sam muttered, her fingers rubbing over the mark of her encounter.

Maddie and Jack walked in then, guns in hand, Maddie wiping the sweat from her brow. "Well, the good news is we're finally down to less than a five percent casualty rate. The number just came back, so we're feeling okay with that."

"What's with the weapons?" Danny asked.

"We're bringing them in for repairs. Apparently, a few made it past our checks that shouldn't have." Maddie's eyes found something of sudden interest. "Sam, what happened to your arm?"

"Malhecor," was her curt reply.

"I take it that it didn't go too well," Jack stated flatly.

Danny shook his head. "It didn't, and we lost one of ours to that creep."

Jack knelt in front of his son. "I know that this is going to sound crass, especially at a time like this, but you have put what happened behind you for now."

Danny's head snapped up, the look in his eyes clearly showing the betrayal he felt.

"I don't want you to think that I'm being this way because your friend was a ghost. So are you, and I haven't changed my mind about you being my son, have I? What I'm trying to say is now is not the time for you to be mourning the loss of any of your team. You can't let your focus shift away from the battle now. You and Sam are the final line between us and the end of the world, and anything that might distract you makes you weak, unable to devote yourselves to what you have to do."

Everyone present in the room all turned to Jack, surprised at his sudden introspection, but he seemed not to notice. Standing, he turned to his wife. "Is there still any fudge in the fridge? Man, do I have a hankering for some fudge."

All present shrugged as the man left the room, and Danny rested his back against the wall, absentmindedly caressing his lower arm where Sam's dagger had bit deep. The pain wasn't there, but the painful memory remained. Sam had lost her grip on reality, unable to differentiate between friend and foe, lashing out at Danny just as she had Malhecor.

Sam looked away in shame. She knew that what had happened to Danny was her fault, and felt guilty for the fact that not only had she attacked him, but also because she couldn't remember a single second of it. Everything between Malhecor's hit landing and Wulf's death was a void in her memory, and nothing of her Guardian power could correct that emptiness.

"So, what now?" Tucker asked as he came down the stairs.

"How long have you been up there?" Jazz asked, slightly annoyed that he'd only just made his presence known.

"Long enough to have seen what these two looked like when they got in." He walked over to Danny. "Dude, what exactly happened to you? You were bleeding from more places than you weren't."

Sam's voice cut in, "I happened to Danny. I lost control during the battle, and when Danny tried to pull me away, I attacked him."

"It wasn't your fault."

Sam and Tucker both turned to Danny. "What?"

"It wasn't your fault," Danny repeated. "When I was healing up that cut, something of my memories…his memories…however it works…I remembered what I had to deal with during the original attacks all those years ago. Malhecor's claws and any weapon he uses are infused with his darkened power. Once he reaches full power, anything he does, even to us, can't be repaired. We don't have the power to undo the damage those venomous weapons can cause, and the worst part is, I don't know why." Danny looked at his hands. "We're supposed to be the purest form in existence, and yet, we can't repair the damage he causes. How does that make any sense?"

"That still doesn't explain Sam attacking you."

Danny stood. "Yes, it does. Malhecor's energy is part of what he uses to destroy people on both planes. It acts as a negation of inner nature."

"Huh?" Tucker and Jazz asked simultaneously.

"If you have a docile, protective inner nature, like Sam and I, it makes you unable to control yourself, making you a deathtrap to anyone within your line of sight. Most of the time, though, the people and ghosts affected by it don't have a strong enough spirit to withstand the toxin and they just die. What makes it worse is that those who die to it aren't able to rejoin the cycle of reincarnation. They are sent to Oblivion, never to escape the emptiness there and return to the world."

Maddie walked silently over to her son and took him into her arms. "It'll be okay."

"How…"

"Don't worry about that now. I've talked with Jazz and Tucker about what you've been going through since the accident, and you've gotten yourself out of worse scrapes than this. Besides," she added with a glint in her eye, "you're my son, and there are more than a few tricks up your sleeve. It's a family trait."

Danny smiled slightly, appreciating the small bit of humor his mother used. It lifted his spirits a little, and he hugged her back. "Thanks, Mom."

"Not a problem. Listen, you and Sam get upstairs. Whether you're something more than human now, I don't much care. Both of you take showers and get some sleep. Malhecor's going to be out for a least a few hours, from what you've said, so take the time to relax. You'll need whatever energy you can muster."

The two nodded mutely, heading to the house's two bathrooms.

- - - - -

Lying on his bed, Danny stared at his ceiling, his mind playing over the fight with Malhecor. He had noticed that Malhecor had chosen to take on both of them alone, leading Danny to believe that, at some point, he had lost his ability to clone himself. However, this, as well as the general lack of dimension-shifting abilities, could be blamed on the fact that he was still recovering his powers. Danny was hoping that there was a better and more permanent reason, one that would give him and Sam the upper hand in whatever future fights would take place.

There was the additional fact that there had been no reports from the Warriors of anything going on that would attest to Malhecor having any sort of footing in the human world, so there was yet another plus on their side.

"You okay?"

Danny looked up at Sam's silhouetted form in the doorway. "Yeah, I'm doing alright. It seems that there's a lot more in our favor than we've noticed, and I'm starting to think that Malhecor lost his ability to clone somewhere along the line."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Danny," Sam said, her voice ringing with the guilt she was feeling, and the remorse for what she had done.

"Sam, stop holding it against yourself. I already told you that Malhecor's weapons do things to people. It wasn't your fault."

She sat on the bed next to Danny, laying her hands over his. "It doesn't change the fact that I feel bad. I saw what I did to you, even though I don't remember it happening."

"Yes, it does change things, Sam," Danny said as he sat up. "First off, you weren't in control. Secondly, you don't remember it. Thirdly, you know that Malhecor uses people however he sees fit in order to elevate himself. Finally, I'm not made. Everything is healed, I'm okay, and we're both alive and able to fight another day." Nuzzling into her, he touched his lips gently to her neck, biting on the sensitive skin there. His eyes drifted slowly shut, his mouth working its way, slowly, tortuously, along her shoulder for a moment. Pulling away, he opened his eyes and smiled. "Everything's the same as it was before," he said, his voice low and warm, "save for this." He ran his fingers over her battle scar, delicately tracing the pinkish line. "And this is another thing on our side. We know how he operates with humans. We understand how he takes over ghosts. His actions are understood. We can anticipate how he'll move when he finally breaches the barrier into our world."

Sam embraced Danny slowly, resting her head against him. "Thanks."

Danny nodded. "Now, what can we figure out about Malhecor from what we know?"

Sam thought for a moment, biting her finger lightly. "He'd rather uses ghosts as his soldiers because he has to use less power to break them and make them empty husks for him to control."

"Okay, good. Now, why?"

"The toxin he uses to attack those of the human realm is unpredictable. Most people can't handle the toxin and die, and he would have to follow people to determine their nature. Since it makes people the very opposite of how they really are, he can't risk finding a strong enough human that has a buried murderous rage. It'll make them as gentle as a lamb."

Danny smiled, "Exactly. Part of me really wishes there was a way to open up more of these memories instead of just getting flashes. Maybe then we can see what they…we did the first time around."

"I doubt that it would help. He was merely trapped, not defeated." Sam looked away for a moment. "If the ghosts he takes over are harboring part of his spirit, do you think they can infect people the same as he can?"

Danny's mind thought back to the two encounters with the puppets of Malhecor. "Now that you mention it, they probably can. They do hold part of Malhecor within them, just as the Warriors have that spark of my power, so what's to keep them from…" Danny shot up, bolting through the floor.

"Mom, you need to call an emergency meeting of the troops!" Danny cried as he flew into the basement. "We've got to tell them about the fight."

"Sure, honey." Maddie looked up. "What's wrong?"

"I'll explain when the troops arrive."

- - - - -

Standing at the front of the stage as those who had volunteered as protectors of their hometown, Danny looked over the assembled, noticing the special ops soldiers that the government had provided after he and Sam had talked with the federal agents. The faces of those here looked slightly worn, tired from the thrice-daily simulation attacks that had been going on, but none of them looked beaten. Hope was evident in the eyes of many, and it relieved Danny to see that everyone was still in such high spirits, even with the crisis at hand and their recent failure.

"Good afternoon to all of you. I apologize for the inconvenience of calling a meeting so late in the day, as I am sure that a few of you were in bed, resting up during the one chance a day you have to do so. Again, as I stated earlier, I would like to thank all of you for the tireless effort you've been putting towards this.

"I come with an apology, however, and a warning. To all of you, I am sorry to inform you that we were partially right about Malhecor biding his time and lying in wait for us. Sam and I were able to fight him, but she and I were both slightly outmatched when we fought him alone, as he was able to incapacitate us for a short time. This failure on our part has brought to light something previously unknown to us, and we bring this information to you now as a warning. Malhecor has the ability to take over the boy of ghosts by destroying their minds and making them hollow shells for him to manipulate. Due to this, any one of his 'avatars' will likely carry a small portion of Malhecor's total power." Danny looked to Sam as she stepped up to the front of the stage, kneeling down and pulsing forth healing energy over the crowd as his girlfriend began to speak.

"The major reason that we bring this information is not to warn you of the ghost threat that may be presented because that is what you have been trained to fight. The reason that we tell you this relates to the scar that I now wear across my arm. Malhecor, as well as all of those that he may take control of, wield a poison that, once it finds its way into your system, will either make you a murderous soldier in his army or kill you. It depends on many factors, most of which we haven't pinned down yet. If your body survives the assault of this toxin, your mind is warped, making you yet another slave to Malhecor's will. What truly concerns us about this is the fact that there is no cure for the toxin, and it makes you a threat to everyone around you, especially those closest to you."

The crowd began to murmur, and a single voice piped up from the din. "What are we supposed to do, then?"

"As cold and impersonal as this is going to sound," Danny replied, "don't get hit."

"We are more than certain that you will pose a great challenge to any ghosts that may threaten our town and our world, so we hope that what we've learned never has to be brought up again."

Another voice perked up. "What about you? It seems that you're okay."

Sam replied, "I only survived because of my status as Guardian and because Danny was able to get the toxin out of the wound before it could find its way into my system."

"How did you manage to get away? It seems that you were both unprepared and came back badly wounded."

"We are saddened to announce the loss of one of our own. Of the ten ghosts that were granted the title of Warrior under our purview, one sacrificed himself in order for Sam and me to get away. I would ask for a moment of silence and a chance to reflect upon this lost fighter, but my dad brought up a good point when we returned home – now is not the time for grieving. If we let our focus slip, we are not the effective team that we should be, that we can be. When this war is over, when we are all together as families and safe once more, then we will take the time to mourn the loss of those that fell in battle. May it be that the Creatrix keeps that list short.

"I realize that it is late, and we would like all of you to get the rest you need. Malhecor is weak, but this does not mean that we are safe. Practice will resume tomorrow at seven A.M." Danny shifted to the door leading out of the building, shaking hands with everyone as they departed, wishing them well.

Once all of the defense team was gone, Danny sagged against the wall, cradling himself on his levitation ability. Sam shifted next to him, her hands wandering over his back. "Just because we have immortal bodies and an inability to get sick didn't keep us safe from sore muscles, did it?"

Danny smiled, leaning into Sam's firm touch, feeling her hands warm with the energy she was weaving into his muscles, relieving the ache that had been pounding there since he'd asked his mother to call the meeting. "I wonder if we could still die from stress," he added jokingly.

Maddie, Jack, and Jazz walked up to the couple. "We're going to take your advice and head on home. You two going to be okay out here?" Maddie asked before shaking her head. "I shouldn't even be bothering to ask that. I already know the answer."

Danny embraced his mother. "It's only natural. Besides, I'm thankful for your concern. There's not a lot of time for personal interaction anymore. It's become so rush-rush around here that I'm starting to worry about everyone's metal health and stability." His eyebrows furled for a moment. "Have you been putting the people who get hit during the simulations in the training unit like I asked?"

"Yes, I have, Danny. I didn't forget. As for your concern – if you're that worried about everyone, why don't you only run the sim once tomorrow? We've been running everyone ragged on sudden drills for the last three days. Let's give it a rest. They're proving themselves well, so don't you think…"

Danny stopped her with a raised hand. "Don't worry about it. Now that you mention it, I will go ahead and tell them that tomorrow's run will be the only one. I guess I stopped being able to really determine how people are feeling ever since I became a Guardian. It makes everything so…unreal. I don't tire out like I used to, I'm stronger and faster than I could have ever hoped to have become, and I honestly don't need as much sleep to function anymore."

The trio left out, leaving the Guardians alone in City Hall. Danny took a seat on one of the benches, Sam cuddling up next to him. "That went well."

Danny leaned over, wrapping his arm around Sam. "I feel terrible, though."

"What for?"

"I had just managed to get over myself and tell you how I truly feel, and we haven't had an actual date since then. It's kind of embarrassing to look back on us being a couple and only being able to say that we've been fighting ever since we got together."

"True, but at least we're fighting something other than one another. That would be embarrassing. What this is, this going on, is us saving the world so that we have time for that date you want to have."

"Actually, as wrong as it seems for me to want to do this, what do you say to us making a day of our day off tomorrow? I'm concerned with everything that's going on, and I'm honestly scared, but I don't want that to get in the way of us. I need to take a moment to tear away from the situation, and you are my stability, my way out of this mess." Danny took her hands into his, "I want to spend time with you, away from the cares of this Guardian responsibility."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you pushing yourself a little far away from the situation by doing that?"

"Not really. I'm still concerned with the situation at hand, but if the rest of Amity Park has the day off, why shouldn't we? We're still in contact with the nine remaining Warriors, and if anything should happen here, Mom and Dad have my cell number to let us know." Brushing his lips against hers, Danny's arms snaked around her back, pulling her close to him. Resting his head against hers, he quietly began to probe into her mind, tendrils of thought creeping over her own. She resisted slightly, but relented, letting Danny seek out the source of her concern. Deeper and deeper into her mind he went, tracing the line of her agitation, following her worry, and soon pinned down the true root of her unwillingness to walk away for a moment. "She'll be fine, Sam."

"Huh? Oh," Sam looked down. "She was supposed to leave with Mom and Dad. I didn't want to risk any of them being in the line of fire. As little as I like my parents, they're all I have."

"And your grandmother questioning her religion doesn't help the situation any, does it?"

"Not really." She raised her head slightly, resting it against Danny's chest. "She took it really hard when Grampa passed away. She was in mourning longer than she was required to be, and she went to temple almost daily to pray. Now that we've put into question the faith she has, she's worried about where Grampa is, let alone if there really is somewhere to go after death."

"We know there is. Haven't you explained it to her?"

Nodding, she looked out the doorway at the encroaching night. "I tried to, once, when this whole mess got started, but I couldn't bring myself to finish. Our faith doesn't preach the tenets of reincarnation, and I don't think it would be a good idea to tell my grandmother that there is basically no Heaven to go to."

"The Summerlands are…"

"It's not the same, Danny. It's weird trying to explain this to you since you weren't raised in a religious family. Most people don't even believe in ghosts, or at least didn't until we came along, and the thought of returning to life after death is just as alien to them."

"You accepted it just fine," Danny countered.

"True, but there are two factors that you're not looking at, the first of which being that I'm not as religiously set in my thoughts as the rest of my family is. I don't follow all the tenets because I think that some of them no longer apply in our world, in this time. The second is the fact that I'm a Guardian. I know the truth, or as much of it as we've ever been allowed to decipher. I can accept things like this because of that knowledge. My grandmother doesn't have that. She has years of faith in God, and we've suddenly put that into question, put her very faith in something beyond us into question, and it's tearing her apart inside."

Danny sighed, standing and resting against the doorframe. "Things would be so much easier to handle if we could just make contact with the Creatrix, ask Her what the truth is."

"More than likely She'll say that the truth is what we make it, what we see."

Danny looked at Sam. "Why would you say that?"

"Unlike you, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about this. Why would it be that the great deity that created Earth and everything around us would plant the seeds of belief the way She has? There's not just one faith, there's many, and so many variant forms of certain ones that it's hard to put a set number on how many religions actually exist. From Judaism to Christianity, Buddhism to Islam, you look at it and wonder why? Why, if there's only one God, would they allow for there to be so many false paths? I'm not sure which one is the right one anymore."

"Maybe there is no right one."

"What are you talking about?"

Danny looked toward the sky. "What if there isn't only one path to God, so to speak? What if they are all the same path, just with different tenets, different ceremonies, and different holy texts? Maybe…" He stopped for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Look at it like this. There's you, Tucker, and me. You're a vegetarian, Tucker's a carnivore, and I'll eat anything under the sun, plant or animal, just as long as it's still edible and won't kill me. Sure, it's three different ways of living your life, three different ways of getting what our bodies need to survive, but we're all still living. We each have our own way, but they are all right. True, you and Tucker both have to take supplements to account for the particular things you're lacking. You have to take protein supplements because you don't eat animal matter, and Tucker has the multivitamins to make up for his lack of affinity for veggies."

"Where are you going with all of this?"

"To this point – I eat whatever I care to eat, you take protein pills and eat solid vegetarian foods, and Tucker takes vitamins and eats nearly straight animal matter. Three ways of attaining the same goal: health. None of us are wrong in how we go about it, are we?"

"No."

"Then you get my point. Maybe all the religions are right. You know yourself how petty some of humanity can be, and that's probably one of the biggest mitigating factors in this whole 'one way to God' argument. Every faith has the same ideas when you really look at it. Something created the world we live in, something made life possible on this little planet we call home, and something gave us our basic set of moral principles. Look at the Ten Commandments." Danny rested his hand against his head. "Triggered another memory, so gimme a second to try and organize…okay. If you look at the Ten Commandments, they give us basic rules of living. Don't kill, don't steal, don't slander the name of God, right?"

Sam nodded, wondering where Danny was taking this.

"The tenets are the same in the Jewish faith as they are in the Christian one, at least for the most part, correct?"

She nodded again.

"If you look to the Egyptian Book of the Dead, there's a negative confession that the dead have to make in the underworld. It includes a number of 'I have not' confessions, such as 'I have not killed anyone' and 'I have not stolen from anyone'. Three different faiths, all with the same basic principles handed down to them by their God, or Gods, as the case is with the Egyptians."

Sam's eyes widened. "You really believe that?"

"I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't. All the faiths out there basically teach the same thing. Live a good, moral life. Follow the particular rules handed down from God about how and when to worship. Do as you are supposed to, and don't deviate into immoral actions, and you will be rewarded with entry into the realm of your God."

"There are a few exceptions, but for the most part, yeah, you're right. You know, I never looked at it that way."

Danny smiled, turning his eyes back to the sky above him, the sparse clouds barely covering the glittering stars. "I'm not completely sure if that's what the truth is, but like you said, I wasn't raised religious, so I've got less attachment to and less and understanding of these faiths. I'm looking at the whole situation from the outside, trying to see through a window, so maybe I'm wrong."

"I don't think you are. You brought up a good point, but I'm still confused as to why She would allow for the holy wars and religious cleansings that have taken place."

"Maybe She thinks it would be an intrusion upon human free will to interfere. It probably hurts Her to see what humanity has become, but She's not about to step down from Her realm and put us back in line." Taking Sam's hands, he pulled her close. "But I digress. We've gotten far off of the original point I was trying to make."

Sam blushed lightly as Danny's hands roamed up and down her sides and back, teasing her as he lightly bit the flesh of her neck, running the tip of his tongue over the sensitive skin. She groaned, both annoyed and invigorated by his actions, her own fingers tangling themselves in his hair, running through the mass of obsidian and snowy locks.

Danny smiled as he kissed his way up the side of her face, gently biting on her earlobe before kissing it softly. He felt the heat rise to her face and pulled away to look at her. Her delicate, pale skin was beautiful, her soft cheeks shimmering as the blood ran to her face. "Embarrassed?" he asked quietly, returning to his affectionate caressing of her ear.

"Turned on," she replied somewhat breathlessly.

Danny pulled back, a look of shock on his face. "What?" His eyes went wide. "Sorry."

"Don't be. You seem to forget, oh great Guardian Daniel, that we're still hormonal teenagers."

"I haven't forgotten. I just thought that with these new forms that we…"

Sam laughed. "We really haven't been spending a lot of time as a couple, have we?"

"That could be misconstrued about fifty different ways," Danny replied flatly.

"But Tucker's not here to do the misconstruing, is he?' And you wouldn't be thinking that way, now would you?"

Danny's face began to glow softly as he looked away. "No, of course not."

"Right," Sam replied sarcastically.

- - - - -

Sam and Danny phazed into his room, Danny plopping down on his bed, casting a questioning glance at Sam when he noticed the cot that had been set up next to his bed. "What…"

"I asked for it. This way, neither of us ends up having to sleep on the floor, and nobody walks into a weird-looking situation coming to wake us up in the morning…or whenever we get a chance to sleep. Something tells me that you're not planning on going to bed yet, though."

Danny shook his head. "I've got too much running through my mind. That discussion we had about religion triggered a waterfall of old memories, and aside from the fact that I can't figure out why a topic like that would do so, I can't pull these flashes apart long enough to figure them out."

"Maybe you're trying to decipher what you think are images when it's just emotions. It happened with me once before where I thought that this blur I was seeing was an image, but when I settled myself down and focused on it, it was just a feeling of confusion."

"So the 'images' I'm seeing are…what then?"

Sam shrugged as she settled onto the cot. "What I figure is that they are representations of emotions. The original Guardians could decipher things because they were unlimited beings. We've got a slight disadvantage by being part human."

"Such ask?" Danny queried. "You're sounding a little like Malhecor there."

"It's just a small detail. The human mind is a finite organism. It can only hold and understand so much information, so when you try to figure out a million little details at once, it's going to be a nasty little jumble of information."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying I'm overtaxing my brain?"

"Just because you are a Guardian doesn't make your brain unlimited like their consciousness was. They were entities. We have physical form."

"That's a lousy excuse. If you remember what Anila told us, the Guardians had to sacrifice their corporeal forms in order to seal Malhecor."

"And what's to say that the memories you are trying to figure out aren't from after that fact, when they were truly spirits. Lousy excuse or not," Sam stated as she lay back on the cot, "it doesn't make it any less true."

"Well, I'll sleep on it, then," Danny stated flatly. "Night, Sam."

"Night, Danny."


	26. Chapter XXVI

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXVI**

Sam awoke, the night sky still looking down on her through Danny's window, and looking to his clock, she saw that it was only ten minutes past five in the morning. Yawning, she rolled over, hoping to catch another hour of sleep. The motion, however, put her in view of Danny's bed, upon which he was writhing, eyes shut in sleep.

A muffled grunt escaped his lips as he rolled over onto his stomach, nearly throwing himself from the bed in the process.

Sam pushed herself up, leaning from her cot over to Danny's bed. Shaking him, she was somewhat startled to see his eyes a strange shade of pale violet as he woke, eyes wide in shock. Seeming to suddenly realize where he was, Danny turned invisible, and the next thing Sam was aware of was the sound of water running in the bathroom down the hall.

A few moments later, he returned, now visible, and sat back down on his bed. Looking to Sam, he smiled weakly.

"You okay, Phantom?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's nothing to worry about."

Sam wasn't convinced. "You sure? You were thrashing around a bit too much for it to be nothing serious."

Danny looked up, conveying the details of his dream to her, and Sam blushed.

"Oh."

"Told you it was nothing."

"Still not nothing, but not as serious as I thought."

Danny smiled, more assuredly this time, and sidled over to Sam's cot. He bit into her neck lightly, teasing her yet again. "Besides, there's nothing I can do about that right now. Maybe sometime in the near future, but not now." He pulled away suddenly, his eyes showing clear disbelief. "No, I did not," he replied to Sam's voiceless question.

She laughed lightly, easing Danny back to his previously relaxed state. "I wasn't being serious. You're just acting a little too stressed out for my comfort. You were all set to make a day of today after we finished training, and today, you're acting all high-strung."

Danny dropped his head abashedly. "Sorry."

"Meh, whatever." She looked at his clock. "So, we've got an hour and a half before we have to start practice, which means about an hour before anyone decides to make sure we're awake. What do we do to pass the time?"

Danny smiled mischievously as he leaned towards Sam again, "I have a few ideas."

The two fell back onto the cot in a tangled heap, Sam's laughter ringing out as Danny's fingers danced across her sides. "Uncle! Uncle! I give! Please, Danny, stop! Ahh!" Sam tumbled from the bed, half-phazing and half-falling from the cot onto the carpeted floor below, and she glared at him. "You are _so_ going to pay."

"Oh? And how do you plan to do that?"

Sam smirked, and suddenly, there were ten of her in the room, all giving the same fierce look to their prey.

Danny backed up slightly, answering Sam's cloning with his own, the two now evenly matched once more. "How, exactly, do you view this as a challenge?"

Silently, the ten Sams smirked again, and Danny felt all of his clones' arms pulled behind them as the visible Sams dove in for the tickle. One by one, he recalled his clones, letting them dissipate as the intensity of ten different bodies being tickled converged on his consciousness. A the final clone vanished and Danny fell to the floor, mobbed by four different Sams, her voice chimed in his ears, "That's how."

"Okay, I give!" Danny cried out, and Sam formed back into one being in reply, pulling away from her compatriot.

"You know, that actually helped me figure out a tactic for taking the fight to Malhecor a second time."

"How so?" Danny asked.

"Could you sense the clones that weren't visible?"

Danny's eyes shot wide. "No, I couldn't. Sam, clone again, but make sure that the number of visible clones and invisible ones is different."

Sam complied, and there were soon eight of her standing in the room.

Danny closed his eyes, reaching tendrils of thought out into the room, trying to sense the remaining clones. He tried the same thing they had done while in the Ghost Zone, sensing the energy flows around him, and felt an additional three entities around him. "Three," he answered.

Sam stared at him. "Only three? You're kidding me, right?"

Danny opened his eyes, giving Sam a look of utter confusion. "How many are there?"

"Seven."

Closing his eyes, he stretched his senses out again, still only finding three of the clones. "Are they all standing on the floor, or are some of them hovering? Maybe I'm just limiting my senses."

"Open up completely. I want you to tell me if you can find them."

Danny complied, frustrated when his senses only revealed one more clone standing behind him, about halfway between the floor and ceiling. "I have four, and that's it. I'm opened up to the whole house at this point."

Sam nodded as Danny opened his eyes. "You still missed three of them. Well, I was right. Unless Malhecor truly is stronger than we are, we'll be able to use invisible clones to attack, and that will give us the upper hand in the next fight. Speaking of which, when are you planning on launching the next attack?"

"The nine are being called back tomorrow to reassign their units. I guess we can make our next move once they give us the okay on all the units."

"So, five days from now."

Danny shrugged. "I guess so. I want to make sure that none of the units have been infiltrated."

Sam stood, leaning against the windowpane. "It gives Malhecor a lot of time to recover."

Danny walked over to Sam and wrapped his arms around her slender form. "He's not the only one that needs to build up his strength again. We have to get past what happened to Wulf. Regardless of what my dad said, I can't just hold off feeling sorrow at his passing. It's not fair. I was just getting to know him, especially with the fact that we weren't stumbling over the Esperanto translations like we were before." Danny sighed deeply. "He was more a friend, more a part of our team, than any of the other ghosts out there that I've worked with. He was more a part of the team than I ever wanted to admit. I can't just let go of him like that."

"Well, your dad was right. You need to hold off mourning for him. There's probably going to be a lot more victims as time goes on."

Danny nodded in acquiescence of this heartrending truth. He started, shifting over to his computer and turning it on.

"What are you doing?"

"There's not going to be a memorial for those we lose if we don't keep track of all of those who die, Danny replied as he typed in his computer's password. Opening his document software, he opened a new file, tapping his thumb against his keyboard. "So far, we've lost, what, five ghosts to this war?"

"Six," Sam replied. "Walker, Skulker, Bertrand, Box Ghost, Johnny 13, and now Wulf."

"Right."

"Who'd you forget?"

"Who else?" Danny looked over his shoulder at Sam. "Box Ghost."

"Ouch. You'd think someone with his appearance record would have left a larger impression on your memory."

Danny shook his head, "It's not that. I remember Walker and Wulf because of our involvement with them, and the fact that they've both been sent to the Gateway. Skulker and Johnny I remember because we had to deal with both of them being under Malhecor's control and coming in contact with us. Bertrand I remember because I've got a lot of personal issues with him regarding a certain family member. Box Ghost was really nothing more than an annoyance at best." Danny blinked, straightening up in his seat. "Wow, that sounded bad coming out of me."

"Yeah, it kind of did."

Danny typed in the six names, all of them entered under the second column.

"What's with the two columns? Sam asked as she leaned in, looking over Danny's shoulder.

"One for the humans we lose in this, and one for the ghosts. Hey, do you think I should count Damien?"

Sam shrugged. "He chose his own fate. He was no more a shell controlled by Malhecor than you or I are, so it would really be up in the air."

"Oh, I don't know. I think I might just put a third column here."

"What for?"

"Well, look at it this way – if there is a memorial put up for those that fell during the war, how many people are going to want the names of Malhecor's servants on there?"

"In the end, I guess we should have just the names of the humans and ghosts that fall to him on there."

"I guess that will work."

Sam shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat."

"You do."

"I didn't need to hear that."

Danny grinned. "Now who's misconstruing comments? I just meant that you make me happy. Isn't that what 'floating one's boat' means?"

Sam flushed. "Yeah, it does."

"Uh-huh." Danny returned to his document, deleting the third column that he'd placed, figuring that there weren't going to be any more willingly working for Malhecor, and realizing that, despite what he had done, no one was going to miss Damien. "How much are you hoping that the list stays like this?"

Sam looked at Danny with a stare of incredulity, "And you say that _I_ sound like Malhecor?"

"What? It was an honest question."

A knock interrupted Sam's reply.

"Yeah?"

"Danny, it's Jazz. It's six-fifteen, so I wanted to make sure that you're awake."

"We are. Did Mom finish breakfast yet?"

"She said we're having cereal today."

"Do you have any soy milk?" Sam asked.

"I think so, but I'll check. You want me to go get some if we don't?"

"Nah," Sam answered. "I can shift over to the store if we need some. Just lemme know, okay?"

"Gotcha." The sound of footsteps heading downstairs was heard, and Sam turned back to Danny in time to see him save and close the document.

"What were you going to say, Sam? Jazz kind of cut you off."

"You sounded upset that the list was only six names long. Was that just me?"

"It was. You know, you better stay out of the practice run today. Head to the lab…You know what?" Danny knelt to the floor, sticking his head through. "Hey, Mom!"

"Yeah?"

"You or Jazz on the casualty list yet?"

"I am, courtesy of your father tripping me while re ran from one of Sam's clones."

"Sam didn't mention taking you out."

"She wouldn't have. I got taken out the same way as the first simulation – someone shot at Sam and hit me instead."

"That shouldn't have knocked you out of practice. Ecto-rounds aren't dangerous to humans," Danny commented. "Either way, I need you to take a sample of Sam's blood and check it for any inconsistencies."

Maddie looked up at where Danny's voice was coming from. "You mean other than the ghost genetics?"

"Yeah. She might be suffering some of the after-effects of Malhecor's poison, so…"

"You mean that black ooze that you left on the coffee table?" Maddie asked, her voice tinted ever so lightly with frustration.

"Oops, but yeah, that stuff. Why?"

"I ran a few tests on that last night. I can check her blood sample for the proteins that make up the toxin."

"Wait…it's a physical toxin?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Danny flew through the floor, headed to the lab. He returned a few seconds later with a printed report. "This it?"

Maddie nodded.

Danny looked over the report, stunned at just how weak the toxin truly was when it was broken down to its individual components. "It's just a series of minor venoms all blended together. We could use our powers to take care of this, going after the venoms one at a time."

"You think so?" Maddie asked. "If it were that easy, why was Sam affected the way she was?"

"Maybe he's utilizing something on the ethereal to manipulate the toxins?"

"It could be, but unless we have some sort of definitive proof…"

"I know, but at least this proves one thing," Danny said as he phazed back into his room. "Hey, Sam, look. Malhecor's toxin is organic."

Sam's eyes skimmed the report before looking up at Danny. "Doesn't that mean that he's ready to…"

"Not necessarily, but what it does mean is that he's bound to a corporeal form, just as we are. I've been trying to figure out why the heck he bled." Phazing through the floor, Danny landed next to his mother, pulling a bowl from the cabinet.

"So what's up?" Maddie looked over at her son as he figured out which cereal he was going to eat.

Picking one of the boxes, Danny upturned the container, dumping the last of its contents into his bowl. "If Malhecor is using a biological toxin, that means that he has a corporeal body, not the unrestrained ether form that the Guardians had taken. I knew there was something about him that I wasn't picking up at first."

"How did you come to that conclusion? Just the toxin?"

Danny shook his head as he poured milk over his cereal. "No. He bled during the fight."

Jazz looked over to her brother, shaking an empty container. "We're out of soy milk."

Danny set his bowl down on the kitchen table, disappearing from sight. A few moments later, he returned to where he'd been standing, a gallon of soy milk in one hand and a few coins in the other. "No, we're not," he said to his sister, a smirk dancing over his face. Sitting, he put the milk on the table and then turned his attention to breakfast.

Sam stepped into the kitchen then, taking a bowl from the cabinets and helping herself to the box of corn flakes. "So, if it's biological, doesn't that mean that we can create an antidote?"

Maddie nodded as she and Sam took their seats. "It would be logical, but because it reacts the way it does, I don't know how to countermand the effect. The toxins should be attacking muscle, blood cells, neurotransmitters, and a hundred other things, but instead, it's targeting something non-physical."

Danny shook his head. "Even if we could create an antidote, for which we would need to use the toxin to create, it would, even in minute amounts, be enough to drive a normal human insane."

Jazz spoke up as she stood, taking her empty bowl to the sink, "If even small amounts do that, why wasn't Sam more affected? Just looking at the scar can tell me how deep his cut sank, and I don't understand how she could have withstood that."

"She was fighting. Between her increased heart rate during battle, and the fact that the wound was open the entire time, her pulse was naturally keeping the poison at bay by continually forcing blood out. Also, she's a bit more than human because of the Guardian thing. However, I'm thinking Malhecor won't make the same mistake again, and he'll move to stabbing tactics that are more lethally aimed when he is forced to fight." Danny swallowed his remaining cereal before leaning back in his chair. "Even if we can develop a vaccine for this, it would require certain members of the defense force to be carrying syringes with this stuff to just counteract the speed at which his toxin metabolizes into the body."

"That doesn't seem like too much of a big deal," Jazz piped up. "If we have two or three members of each group carrying the vaccine, we just have to show them how to administer it."

"It's not that simple."

Everyone turned to Sam. "What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"Even if you do give them whatever you develop for a cure, it won't help unless the toxin has been flushed from their system. Look at me, for example. Even with the benefits of being a Guardian, I'm still apparently suffering the after-effects of being exposed to the toxin."

Danny's eyes wandered slowly to the floor. Focusing deeply, his irises turned from their glowing sky blue to royal blue, then deeper to midnight blue. Silver energy began to weave around his hands, and he drew a small knife from the ether. Standing, he moved towards Sam, the knife cutting into her unscarred arm.

"Ouch! Danny, what are you doing?"

Danny gave no reply as silver-blue energy coursed from his hands over Sam's body. Now that his mind could process how to fight the toxin, he was willing to attempt to flush whatever remained in her system, willing to attempt to use his power to counteract and cure her.

Sam leaned back in her seat, feeling the deep concern welling up from Danny, and she relaxed at his energy moved over her and into her body, seeking out the poison that remained somewhere inside of her.

Danny saw through his senses, carefully looking for the toxin with his magick. He started his search at the wound, looking to see if the toxin had remained where the original injury was made. Finding nothing but healthy cells there, he dug deeper, aiming now for the three parts of her physical body that he believed would be the toxin's target of choice. First finding his way into her brain, he dug through, seeking any trace of the poison, remembering what it felt like to him when he'd removed it the first time around. Sensing nothing, he moved lower, energy weaving around her heart, and he felt her pulse race beneath his touch, and he figured he'd moved too harshly against the sensitive muscle. Again, he found nothing, and a whispered phrase fell from his lips, "Creatrix, please not there."

Sam raised an eyebrow, feeling his power coursing through her. He's already checked her brain and heart and, apparently, found nothing. Now closing her eyes, she touched his energy, following it as it moved through her body.

Both of their bodies tensed considerably, and Maddie and Jazz both stood, worried by the expressions that had crossed both youth's features.

_Danny?_

_I was hoping that this wouldn't be where I found the remaining toxin. I'm sorry, Sam._

_Don't be. Just get the crap out of my system._

_But…_

_I don't think it affected anything yet. It's only attached at the surface, but check to make sure you got it all and flush it out._

Danny's metal fingers went to work, his energy slowly combing through the small section of her body where he'd located the last bit of the poison. Making sure that there was no more, delving in at the nanoscopic level, he slowly wove thin strands of his magick around the remaining toxin, gently pulling it free of her body. Guiding the small container of his energy upward, he carefully moved it through her body, and managed to get it out of the small slit he'd opened in her arm with little effort. Holding his hand against the cut, he healed the damage, taking the tiny ball into the basement and dropping the toxin into one of the beakers.

"Are you two okay?" Maddie asked as Danny re-entered the kitchen. "You looked like there was something very wrong."

Danny looked away silently, launching himself upwards and into his room. Sam turned to the two remaining people in the room, shrugged, and followed Danny.

- - - - -

"Danny, it's not your fault," Sam started as she entered the room. "It attacks on its own. You had no…"

"I didn't get it all the first time. I should have gotten it all out then. What if something happens to…to you, to…" He pointed silently at her lower abdomen, unable to force out the last few words of worry, then dropped his head into his hands. "Sam, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. If you cleared the toxin, then I should be okay. It's all healthy cells there now, right?"

Danny nodded.

"Then stop worrying about it."

Danny looked at her, disbelieving. "What if this comes back to haunt us? What if it buried itself, hid, and we don't find out until…"

Sam knew what Danny's unvoiced concern was then. Shifting down into the basement, she reached some of her own healing energy into the small beaker that housed the murky poison. Once she'd gotten a deep sense of what the toxin felt like to her, she returned to Danny. "If you're still so concerned, we have fifteen minutes before we have to get out of here. Check again, but you're not going to find any more."

Danny's eyes were cloudy, but he nodded in compliance. Leading Sam to the bed, he gently laid her down before calling up his healing energy again. Somewhat shocked to see Sam focus hers, he understood almost instantly why she'd left the room. Together, they moved their intertwined energy into her body, seeking out the point at which the toxin had taken hold, even if for just a short time.

Deeper they dove, finding the point where the poison had been hiding, dark blue and green energy dancing over the tiny area, probing, searching. In five minutes, they checked every single cell in that miniscule area of Sam's body, and as Sam felt Danny finally began to relax, she nudged him to pull away.

Opening his eyes, Danny knew that Sam saw the relief that was flooding them. He sighed as he leaned close to her, nuzzling against her face, a small upward curve pulling at the corners of his mouth. "I love you, Sam."

She returned his smile, running her fingers through his hair. "I love you, too, Danny." She sat up, looking him over briefly. "So, it seems like you made your decision about having these eternal bodies, considering how concerned you were."

Danny nodded. "I'm not about to let what we've become get in the way of us living like normal humans. I…honestly, I've never confessed to you how much I want that to happen in the future. I didn't think you'd want to hear it, considering what your part in all of that would be like."

Sam could feel her body seemingly rejoicing to have the last of Malhecor's vile poison pulled from her, and she rested her hands on Danny's, looking into his eyes. "I actually never thought you'd be the family type, Danny."

"I've always wanted a family…to eventually start my own family. I don't know what it would be like living my life without that. That's why I was so concerned when I found the toxin working its way into one of your ovaries. If he destroyed any chance we had of…I don't know what I would have done, Sam. I really don't." He looked up, and gave a confused stare at Sam's wry smile. "What?"

"Your eyes are purple again, Danny," she said, pushing herself up and moving close to him. "Stop thinking about it. My answer is no."

"What? Oh…um…" He flushed again, his eyes returning to their bluish hue as the silver blood coursing through his veins lit his cheeks. "I really need to get a handle on my emotions."

She laughed lightly, resting against him. "And before you ask, my answer will remain no until I have a wedding band on my finger and we're both out of college."

"I wasn't going to ask, but thanks for letting me know ahead of time." He grinned, blue eyes tinted with a ring of lavender. "Does it have to be _your_ wedding band or just _a_ wedding band?"

Sam cracked Danny across the shoulder, and he fell to the floor laughing, "I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!"

She just shook her head. "Boys," she muttered as she left the room.


	27. Chapter XXVII

**Disclaimer: **_Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXVII**

Sam and Danny were perched in two of the trees in the park, watching as the ninety-five troops took up their positions around the park. Surprisingly enough for them, two of the troops that had been taken out in the previous runs were special ops, but he and Sam were not concerned with the failure on part of those who fell to the ghosts. After all, that's what their training was for. What bothered them were the three other people who had suffered his mother's fate, removed from battle because someone fired too late.

"All units, this is Omega One. Listen, we've got a few new rules of engagement. First off, this is going to be our only run for today. I want everyone rested up so that we can start again tomorrow. Secondly, if we find out who's been doing the shooting that's taken down four of our people so far, you're out of the park simulations and in my parents' training facility back at Fenton Works. Do you copy?"

A series of 'Yes, sir's were heard over the comm, and Sam piped up once they'd quieted down. "This is Omega Two. During this run, the reason we've pulled everyone from simulations is because I'll be the only one using attacks against you. However, please note that the rules when you get hit have changed. If you get hit with a beam, drop like usual. If you get hit with what feels like a blunt knife, run and call on Omega One. You might just stand a chance of surviving the toxin if you can keep your pulse up. Also, if any of you are ever against Malhecor's army and get hit, let the wound bleed out. It helps keep his poison at bay. We've found a way to cure the toxin, and we want to see how fast we'll be able to respond. For those in Epsilon Group, you'll see if any of my clones are using weapons. Same rules apply. You copy?"

Danny and Sam listened to the chime of affirmative responses, Sam making one last comment before she set her headset in the tree branches. "Omega Two out. Good luck, everyone."

Sam shifted away, and Danny didn't bother to find out where. He watched as one of the troops from town reloaded his gun, and Danny shook his head. His reload speed needed work. Memorizing the face, he went about scanning the rest of those that he could see from his current position, listening to the miniscule amount of chatter that was crossing the lines. He turned his head as the guy he'd seen loading his gun responded to something, and Danny called him after the line had gone quiet. "Beta Three, I want you to head back to Fenton Works after practice. You need to work on that reload."

"Understood, Omega One." The guy sounded offended, but he seemed to be taking it in stride.

A blur of white shot out from one of the trees, and a well-aimed shot from across the clearing took down the first of Sam's clones. Danny watched as the troops' eyes scanned the area, occasionally turning to their scanners. Reaching out, he could feel a large number of clones approaching from the southeast. He nodded to himself, silently obeying the order Sam had given him on the way to the park. "Alpha Group, move about ten yards west. Beta and Epsilon Groups, twenty yards south. Gamma, I need you to back up Alpha Group. We've got an influx from the southeast coming in hot. Watch yourselves."

"Omega One, this is Alpha Four. Why are you telling us where Sam's going to be attacking from?"

"We're running these now as if we're under siege. Sam and I can sense ghosts at a distance, so we'll try to give ample warning. Omega One out."

Sounds of gunfire were heard, and Danny felt as twenty or so clones fell, mowed down by the forewarned troops. Another few fell before he saw one guy break and run. "Omega One, I'm hit!"

"I got you," Danny said as he shifted from his position, healing energy already arcing over his body as he appeared next to the 'injured' troop. A shield formed around them, three different ecto-blasts pinging off. Danny focused on the green mark on the man's upper arm, tending to it as he would a cut from Malhecor. Giving himself thirty seconds to contain the poison and seal the wound, Danny was off almost as quickly as he'd arrived, the troop returning to the fray.

"Omega One, Beta Five and Nine just got hit."

Danny's senses stretched to cover the park, and when he knew exactly where the two were, he shifted to them immediately. Breaking his focus to two people put a light strain on him, but he responded with a clone of his own, both tending to an individual troop. He'd barely gotten the pair back into the fight before his comm clicked again. "This is Tau Seven. I got hit pretty close to my heart. I'm running, but should I drop?"

_Special ops,_ Danny thought as he flew towards the location, not wanting to stray from the main battle area if the soldier was fatally wounded. "How close, Tau Seven?" He blinked, sensing a few groups of Sam's clones. "Alpha Group, heading in from the north. Epsilon, you got a group coming up from underground, heading in from the west. Gamma and Tau Groups, you've got a wave coming from the southwest. Stay sharp."

"Within a couple of inches," the troop answered when the line had gone quiet, answering Danny's initial question.

Danny shifted to him, encasing them in his shield. "It's close enough to be concerned, but I'll check." Drawing on his healing magick once more, he lined up the mark on the man's vest with his heart. "She hit you straight or at an angle?"

"Straight."

Danny tended to the 'wound', treating it as both a toxin hit and a stab wound, and was off within a minute. "You're good. It missed."

As the soldier ran off, Danny toggled his headset. "All units, I want you moving no matter where you get hit, as long as it's not in the head. I'll tend to these wounds as they truly are if Malhecor should attack here, but for now, act injured, not dead."

Three hours later, Danny called a halt. He'd been bouncing around nearly the entire time, having tended to forty-seven different hits from Sam's blunt weapons. _Sam, how many clones did you send out?_

_Fourteen hundred, of which all got picked off._

"Alpha Leader, how many down?"

"One."

"Who'd we lose?"

"Thirteen, David Sanchez."

"Alright, David, you're going to be reporting to Fenton Works tomorrow for training room simulations."

"Understood."

"Beta Leader?"

"None."

"Delta Leader?"

"None."

"Gamma Leader?"

"One."

"Who?"

"Four, Jonas Lancaster."

"Same order I gave David, Jonas."

"Understood, sir."

"Epsilon?"

"None."

"Tau Leader?"

"None, sir."

"Good work, everyone. Let's call it a day."

Sam appeared next to Danny, apparently none the worse for the wear. "That was probably the best run we've had so far."

"Seeing as we lost only two out of all of them, yeah, it was. Just goes to show you that having the ability to sense the ghosts gives us an advantage."

Sam nodded, pulling Danny's headset off and setting it next to hers. "That's good to hear." Grabbing him, she shifted to a nearby tree, hidden from the eyes of everyone below thanks to the dense leaf-cover. Sitting on a large branch, she leaned against the tree, pulling Danny down to her. "So, are we still going on that date you were so insistent on yesterday?"

Danny nodded slightly, bending lower, craning his neck in order to claim Sam's lips. He kissed her lightly, pulling away just a little. "We're going to be out only long enough for Tucker to go over the listing of refugee units and reorganize the setups for the nine remaining Warriors. It gives us some time, though," he smiled, "time that I intend to use very well." Claiming her lips in his again, he let his hands wander up and down her sides, the world melting away slowly as they fell deeper into their passion.

Sam's eyes slid shut, the euphoria of Danny's kiss chasing all of her pent-up stress away. The world drifted away from her consciousness, so lost in her emotions that she didn't even feel the bark of the tree pressing into her back. Her hands wormed around her neck, and she pulled herself closer still, forcing the kiss deeper.

Danny slid forward a bit, coaxing Sam onto his lap as he pressed her body against the tree, one hand now diving into her silky tresses. It seemed so long ago that they had first come to terms with their relationship, eons since their first kiss, and Danny wanted to use this precious time to catch up on what they had begun to lose amidst all of their responsibility. He desired nothing but to strengthen their weakening connection to each other, his mind silently recalling that it had been his love for her, not his responsibility to her, that had made him pull her away from the first battle against Malhecor.

Sam wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling a rising fire igniting between her and Danny, the flames of a level of passion she would not yet allow, but was none too afraid to accept existed. Her body tensed slightly, and she realized that, despite her personal reservations, she still could acknowledge the fact that she wanted him, and relayed as much through the kiss.

Pulling away, Danny looked into the shimmering caramel eyes of his love, knowing full well that his eyes had once more drifted to their lust-induced lavender. He craved Sam in ways that he couldn't verbalize, but accepted it nonetheless. He knew her terms, and was completely willing to live by them. Those terms, however, didn't make the rising pressure between his legs any less difficult to deal with. He smiled, somewhat embarrassed, as Sam's eyes slid back to their natural violet. "Something tells me that I'm not the only one having to deal with hormones."

Sam nuzzled against him, shaking her head, "Just because I won't doesn't mean I don't want to. My beliefs can't change what my body wants, no matter how hard I try to convince myself otherwise."

"Ah, the price we pay for being human," Danny sighed.

Sam looked at him, her eyes dancing with their inner light, and she giggled lightly in affirmation of his comment. "So, where are we going on this date?"

Danny smiled as he lifted them onto their feet, resting his forehead against hers. "Up for Mediterranean?" he asked, and laughed as he eyes went wide.

"You didn't! The reservation list is like a mile long!"

"No, I didn't. Mom and Dad did. They've had to move the reservation around a couple times because of the situation, but it's their way of saying 'welcome to the family'. Besides, when the owner heard who the reservations were for, it got bumped up a few slots."

Sam smiled. "Your parents already figured out that we'd be…"

"Everyone did, Sam, un included."

She nodded in mute agreement.

Stepping back, Danny closed his eyes, focusing his thoughts, and Sam watched as his outfit morphed around him, turning from his cape-vest, pants and tee to a plain black suit, white dress shirt, and silver tie. "Your turn."

Sam acquiesced, and soon was standing before Danny in heeled dress shoes, her gossamer silver gloves a subtle contrast to the beautiful off-the-shoulder white dress she wore. The diamond necklace bearing her ghost form's initials glittered slightly as the sunlight filtered in from between the leaves, and Danny touched the gem lightly.

"Let's go."

- - - - -

Danny and Sam chose to appear a block short of the restaurant, mostly because they didn't want to scare any of the residents that may have still been around the area. Walking leisurely along the street, Sam smiled as she rested her head against his shoulder, her arm linked through his. Being the perfect gentlemen for this occasion, he opened the door for her when they arrived at the restaurant, smiling down her scowl.

"I can get the door myself, you know?"

Danny nodded, "I know, but not today. Today is for us, and that means I'm going to be the chivalrous knight in phantom armor you fell in love with."

Sam laughed lightly as they entered the restaurant. One of the finer establishments in Amity Park, Sam had taken Danny and Tucker here once before to celebrate their eighth grade graduation. Tucker had complained until he'd seen the substantial amount of meat on Cretan Waterfront's menu, but the memory had stuck with Danny for all these years that this had been, and still was, Sam's favorite restaurant.

A young man greeted the two as they entered, "Hello."

"Good afternoon," Danny returned. "Reservation for two under Fenton."

"Fenton…Fenton…ah…oh?" the man looked up, surprise clear in his eyes, "It's reserved by Fenton, but for Phantom?"

"That would be us," Danny answered. "Madelyn Fenton called to confirm the reservation around eight this morning."

"Oh, right. This way," he said as he took a pair of menus and walked towards the dining area. Sam and Danny followed for a short distance, and were seated at a small table near the stage that would normally house the band. The host caught Sam's sideways glance and responded to her silent query. "The band is not performing today. Since word got out about the impending war, a lot of our staff left for what they considered safer ground. My apologies," he stated as he set the menus on the table and pushed Sam's chair in.

"None needed," Sam replied, "and thank you."

"Would either of you like something to drink?"

Danny looked at Sam for a second before turning to the young man. "Two virgin Bloody Mary's, please."

"Coming right up."

Danny sighed lightly, sagging in his chair for a moment. Turning his head, something caught his eye, and he immediately stood.

An elderly gentleman, the first signs of grey starting to highlight his moustache, approached the couple. "Thomas Elliot, owner of Cretan Waterfront. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Mr…excuse me, but is it Fenton or Phantom?"

Danny smiled, "Whichever you prefer. I go by both. This is my fiancée, Samantha Manson."

Sam offered her hand. "A pleasure, sir, and it's Manson or Phantom, also whichever you prefer."

Thomas nodded, returning the welcoming smiles. "Well, I have business to attend to, so I will leave you two to enjoy your lunch." He turned to walk away, stopping momentarily and turning back to Danny. "By the way, you father wanted me to inform you that he will pay the check, so do not concern yourself with anything in that regard. He mentioned that young Samantha might request to pick up the tab." He turned to Sam. "He also wanted me to tell you 'welcome'." Turning, he walked away.

Danny took his seat again as a woman approached the table, carrying a pair of drinks. "Thank you," Sam said as she set the drinks down.

"You ready to order?" she asked politely.

"Not just yet, but thank you again," Danny replied.

As the woman walked away, the two picked up their menus, Danny watching Sam more than focusing on what he was going to order. "So, what's on your mind?"

"Like you don't know," she replied over her menu.

"Pardon me, miss, but do you feel me poking around up there? No, you don't." Danny looked down at his menu. "You know, the last time we were here, you ended up having to order for me."

Sam sighed. "I'm going to have to again, aren't I?"

"No. Just fond memories, that's all."

Sam pulled her menu down, catching sight of Danny's trademark goofy grin spreading across his face and she smiled in return. "So, fiancée, am I? What happened to the whole getting down on one knee with a diamond ring gig?"

"This from the least superficial girl I know. Who are you and what have you done with Sam?"

A light laugh burst from Sam's mouth, and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Okay, good point, but you never did ask me."

"Do I really have to?" he asked, and the look she gave him was more than enough of an answer, and he dropped his head in defeat. _Samantha Manson, Angel Phantom, enchantress of my life, woman of my dreams, desire of my heart, she who completes me in every moment of my existence, would you take me as your husband, to love and hold dear and to have children with, until the end of time?_ Looking up, he felt his eyes change color, totally unsure of exactly what they'd shifted to.

Sam had to hold back a severe blush that was threatening to rise to her cheeks. His eyes had gone silver, his Guardian heart showing through his eyes, and she couldn't help but smile at the way he'd phrased the question. _Yes, Daniel, I will take you as my husband for as long as you will take me as your wife. However, I don't plan or intend on having kids for the rest of eternity._

Danny's eyes shot wide, and he blushed at her comment, realizing that he had misspoken somewhat. _That's not what I meant._

_I know._

The waitress returned then. "Have you decided?"

"Yes," Sam answered. "We'll have the hummus and pita bread to start."

"Alright…soup and salad as well?"

Sam looked towards Danny, silently asking him if he wanted both.

"Is the lentil soup vegetarian?" Danny asked.

"We don't use anything put vegetable broth in our soups," she explained.

Danny turned to the menu. "Two bowls of lentil soup and the taboulleh salad."

The waitress jotted down the order. "You two planning on having dinner as well?"

Danny nodded. "I'll have the Mediterranean spinach pasta with grilled vegetables."

"And I'll have the baked eggplant with pecan sauce," Sam finished.

The waitress jotted down the rest of their order, and, upon taking their menus, left.

"Taboulleh salad?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. It's got tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, and this wheat grain that I didn't recognize. I thought I'd give it a try."

Taking a sip of his drink, Danny closed his eyes, visibly relaxing, the strain and stress he'd been under melting away.

"That's non-alcoholic, Danny."

He opened one eye, staring at Sam incredulously. "No kidding. I ordered virgin drinks for a reason. I'm just finally glad to be letting go of all my worries for the next hour or so."

Sam raised her own glass to her lips, a small smile curving the corners of her mouth.

- - - - -

Stepping out of the restaurant, Danny stretched, his clothing shifting back to its normal form. He patted his stomach, muffling a belch as Sam fell in step behind him. "That was good, but what the heck was that you ordered for dessert?"

"It was carrot cake with currants. They're a Mediterranean raisin of sorts. Just the right kind of sweet with that cake, don't you think?"

"It was _all_ good. I wonder, though, if we could ever get something to go from there off the tofu menu and see if we can't get Tuck to eat it."

"You wouldn't be so mean."

Danny smirked. "You would think that, no?"

A rolling laugh fell from her lips, and Sam relaxed, her clothes now returning to normal.

"By the way, I'll get around to getting you that ring after all of this settles down."

"Don't worry about it, Danny."

He shook his head. "No, it's only right, and it's tradition."

Sam closed her eyes, letting out a short breath. Touching her right hand to her neck, the necklace that was hanging there vanished, and when Sam pulled her hand away, Danny saw the small diamond ring glinting on her finger.

"That's not fair."

"I don't care. I have a ring, so you can shut up about that now."

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he shifted them both to his front door. "I'm going to go help Mom and Dad with whatever they need around the house. You go check on your grandmother."

- - - - -

"Grams, I'm back!" Sam called as she stepped through the front door. "Grams!"

"There's no need to shout, bubeleh. I'm fine," Ida answered, wheeling herself in from the kitchen. "How've you been?"

"So-so. Danny took me out today since we aren't running the simulations in the park again today."

"Seems like he had a good reason for treating you out," she replied, her eyes covertly dancing over the ring Sam was wearing.

"Yeah, he did. He's been concerned that we haven't been spending a lot of time as a couple because of this whole thing with Malhecor happening right after we started dating. He wanted to do something special to make up for it."

"Where did he take you?"

Sam couldn't mask the delight that covered her face. "Cretan Waterfront. He's been planning to take me there for a while, but we've been so busy with…What?"

Ida's face was split into a wide grin, and the old woman couldn't help but smile. "He had his own reasons for the fancy dinner though, didn't he?" Finally motioning to Sam's hand, she grinned even wider when Sam looked down at the ring she wore and blushed deeply.

"Dad's going to flip when he finds out."

"You shouldn't worry about your father's opinion on this, sweetie. Right now, you should be worried about yourself and Daniel. You two are our guiding light right now."

Sam's mind flitted back to a conversation she'd had with Danny a short while ago. "Grams, I've been meaning to talk to you. Ever since you mentioned your question about the Creatrix, Danny and I have been thinking about it."

Ida's eyes began to mist up, but she fought back the tears she refused to cry in front of her granddaughter. "What about it?"

"Danny thinks that, maybe, all the paths are right, that all the religions are right."

"But why would ours be right if the Creatrix is a female?"

"I don't think that it matters. What matters is that we believe, and that we have faith that whatever it is out there is watching over us." Sam looked at her hands, wringing them in frustration. "You see, when we first found out about all this, we were told about the cycle of life, and that there is a Heaven of sorts that everyone goes to when they die. The only difference between this Heaven and the Jewish one is that the souls are reincarnated, recycled back into the world."

"So where is your grandfather?"

"Honestly, I can't answer that. He's probably waiting for you on the other side, though. Danny and I both feel that those who find true love in life are rejoined in death to spend time together before the cycle starts again, and maybe even find that love again in their next life, even if they don't realize it's the same person." She knelt down and hugged her grandmother tightly. "I'm going to find out for you, Grams, I promise."

"I love you, bubeleh. Thank you."

Sam felt a single tear fall from her face, her memories of her grandfather still strong in her mind. "I love you, too, Grams."

Rolling back, Ida was about to return to the kitchen to finish cleaning up her lunch dishes when Sam called out to her.

"Grams, would you want to come stay with the Fentons until Mom and Dad get back?"

"Bubeleh, I couldn't impose on them like that."

Sam sighed, pulling a card on her grandmother that she never thought she would. "Wouldn't you like to get to know your future grandson-in-law better?" She knew that her grandmother had a weak spot for Danny, convinced, despite what Sam's father would say, that Danny would be the grandson Jeremy never tried to give her.

"Do you think it would be alright?" Ida asked hopefully.

Sam pulled out her cell phone, still carried even though it was used so little. Speed-dialing Danny's house, it only took two rings before Maddie answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Fenton, it's Sam. I was wondering if it would be okay if my grandmother stayed with us. I don't want to keep leaving her alone in the house."

Maddie said something that Ida couldn't make out, and she wheeled herself closer to Sam.

"No, Mrs. Fenton, it won't be a problem. I can take care of that anyway." Sam pointed to her grandmother's scooter before giving a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Mrs. Fenton," she said as she shut her cell. "Come on, Grams. Danny's waiting to meet you."


	28. Chapter XXVIII

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXVIII**

"Hello, Mrs. Manson, it's nice to meet you."

Ida cast a confused glance towards Sam as she shook hands with the exuberant red-head that had greeted them at the door. "Hello."

"Grams, this is Jazmine, Danny's older sister."

"Pleased to meet you," Ida added, the look of perplexity quickly leaving her face.

"Welcome," Jazz returned as she turned her head towards the kitchen, a small explosion sounding from the basement. "Sorry about the ruckus. Three of the guns malfunctioned today, and Mom's trying to figure out what happened."

"Is it anything with the immunity program?" Sam asked.

"Mom thought that at first, maybe that some of the guns had activated the program, but she checked. It's something with the energy cells. Apparently, Dad messed some of them up when he was doing repairs a while back, so Mom's got to check to see what he did, fix it, and then recalibrate the guns." Jazz shook her head, letting it drop into her hands. "You'd think a day off would mean that we get the day _off_ for once."

Danny dropped through the ceiling, crashing into the kitchen table. Kicking out, it appeared as though he'd tossed something, and that thought was made fact when the cabinets opposite him shuddered, a dent forming in the lower corner of one. Danny flipped off of the remains of the table, lashes of silver energy coursing from his hands and coiling around an invisible form on the floor. Pulsing energy through the coils, Vlad Plasmius became visible, the elder hybrid cradling his head. Another pulse, and Vlad was human again, his wrists raw and red, the power binders Sam had forged onto his arms missing.

Stepping past Jazz and her grandmother, Sam walked into the kitchen, flowing her energy into the table, repairing the damage that had been caused. "What happened, Danny? How did he get the binders off?"

"Don't know, and don't particularly care. All I'm worried about right now is making sure that he can't do it again." Danny motioned for Sam to take control of the coils that bound Vlad, keeping him human and weighed down to the floor. "He figured his only way out of here was by going through me, but he failed to realize that you can't overshadow a Guardian." As Sam slid her own energy cords around Vlad, Danny stepped away, his hands molding new binders, the thin silver bands sparking with his power.

Sam pulled Vlad up by the cords, forcing his arms out in front of him. Cascading the energy down his arms, she healed the damage he'd done by removing the original binders. Once that was done, she looked to Danny.

Stepping before Vlad, Danny strapped the silver bands, now more like wide bracelets instead of Sam's original cuffs, to Vlad's wrists. Wrapping his hands around the binders, he poured a quick pulse of energy down his arms, and Vlad cried out in pain. Pulling his hands away, a few drops of blood escaped the base of the binders.

"What have you done to me?"

"These won't be so easy to remove. The binders are woven through the bones in your wrists, so you'll have to lose your arms if you want to get these off." He glared at Vlad, and the elder cowered before him. "I tried to warn you. Next time, it would be in your best interests to actually _listen_ to me. For all we know, you just _gave_ Malhecor what he needed to escape. Your ghost half_ feeds_ him, so unless you actually want to die, I'd advise you to start paying attention and doing what I _tell_ you to. Do you understand me?"

Vlad nodded mutely.

"Get him out of my sight," Danny ordered as he poured his healing energy over the cut Vlad had made across his torso when the fight started. Sam pulled the magick cords from around Vlad's body, phazing them both into the basement.

"I take it things are becoming a little more tense because Malhecor's out?"

Danny started, having been unaware of Sam's grandmother's presence until she'd spoken to him. "It's not that it's any tenser, it's just that Vlad is holding it against me because I'm trying to save his life. Every second he stays in ghost form, he gives energy to Malhecor, and if he manages to gather enough energy to escape the Ghost Zone, Vlad's the first one he's coming after."

Ida smiled, resting her hand against Danny's elbow. "It'll be all right in the end, you'll see. Besides, with my little bubeleh alongside you, there's going to be very little to keep you from winning."

Sam blushed as she ascended the stairs. "Grams, do you have to call me that in front of Danny?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it, _bubeleh_," Danny mimicked, and Ida smiled lightly.

"Danny, your mom said that Grams can stay in the guest bedroom," Sam said, quickly changing the subject, "but I don't want her in the ops center. It's not the best place for her to…"

"Don't worry about it. The guest bedroom my mom was referring to is the room next to Jazz's we've been using as a storage room. I'll be moving most of the stuff into the ops center guest room so that your grandmother can stay on the second floor." Danny launched through the ceiling, and Sam soon heard the sounds of a decent amount of furniture and boxes being moved around.

Walking through the doorway and into the living room, Sam jumped for the second floor, skillfully vaulting herself over the railing. She saw her grandmother watching her, and carefully lifted her, scooter and all, up the stairs and to the second floor.

As the wheels hit carpet again, Ida took off for the far room, Sam close behind. The doorway was already propped open, Danny moving the remaining furniture around to allow easier access to the room, having more than accounted for the scooter.

"Mrs. Manson, is there anything else that you'll need?" Danny asked.

Wheeling over to the bed and slowly moving from one to the other, Sam's grandmother laid down on the soft bed. "Not right now, Daniel. And you can call me Grams. That ring on Sammie's finger makes you family enough in my eyes."

Danny and Sam both blushed at the comment, and they left the room, quietly pulling the door shut behind them. Walking into Danny's room, they dropped down onto their respective beds, both letting out tired groans as another explosion resounded from the lab below, and Danny groaned once more.

"You would think that, with all the work they've done over the years, they wouldn't blow up nearly as much stuff as they do."

"Years of practice won't make anyone perfect. It just makes what you're doing easier to do." Sam cast a sidelong glance at Danny. "Just out of curiosity, why did you tell the restaurant owner that we were engaged when we weren't?"

Danny pushed himself up onto his elbows, his eyes meeting with Sam's. "I dunno. Saying that you were my girlfriend seemed so…I don't want to say 'inappropriate'…um…" He sighed, flopping down onto his bed again. "It just didn't feel right. Besides, I've been meaning to ask you ever since we found out about the immortality thing, but I couldn't find a time that felt…right, what with all that we have had to deal with."

"And you don't think that, just maybe, we're a little young?"

"And do what, risk losing you to the next hot goth that crosses your path? Nah." Danny half-expected Sam to crack him a good one across the skull for his comment, his cocky wit often lost on her when he entered treacherous waters like these.

Sam just smiled softly. "You know that I love you, that I've loved you for a long time now. Why would a random goth be so able to change all that?"

Danny shrugged as he leaned forward, pitching himself onto Sam's cot, and also onto Sam herself. Smirking devilishly, he captured her lips roughly, one hand diving into her hair, the other worming beneath her back, Sam pressing herself against his body. Smiling as she moved into the kiss, he slowly started working his way along her jaw line, biting at her neck softly, a tactic that he'd become all too fond of using during the rare times they had to be together like this.

Sam moaned gently at his affections, fingers roaming through his wild locks, her stomach fluttering uncontrollably.

"Did I pick a bad time?" a startled voice asked.

Danny and Sam flew apart, neither having heard the door open, and they looked at Tucker, who, despite his question, looked more than happy to have seen the pair engaged as they had been.

"Sorry to barge in on you," Tucker said, failing to hide the mirth in his voice, "but I wanted to let you know that I got the PDAs set up again for the…" His voice drifted, and Tucker dropped his head, pulling off his beret before running a hand over his hair. Placing the hat back on, he looked at Danny. "My condolences for Wulf, man. I wasn't expecting this to happen to any of your team, but especially not him."

"Don't dwell on it too much, Tuck. Wulf went out with honor, and he made sure that I got Sam out of that encounter safe and alive." Sighing, he stood, placing a hand on his friends' shoulder, gripping it just tight enough to impress upon Tucker that he wanted him to be just as strong during this as everyone else. "We'll mourn for him, and all those lost, later. How are things looking for the nine remaining Warriors?"

"Well, Ember, Technus, Spectra and Kitty all have a hundred and sixty-two units to check on," Tucker said, reading off the report he'd entered into his own PDA. "Ember and Kitty are covering the States, Technus is assigned to Canada and Greenland, and Spectra's patrol is Mexico and the northern half of South America. Bullet, Sidney, the dragon lady, Lydia and Desiree each have a hundred and sixty-three units. Lydia's covering the rest of South America, Bullet's been assigned to Europe, Desiree to Australia, Sidney to Africa, and the dragon to Asia."

Danny's brain quickly processed the information, wondering why he hadn't known about this previously. "You're telling me that there are three hundred and twenty-four of our refugee units in the States alone? Isn't that concentration dangerously high?"

"Compared to the other continents, it is, but I also counted Alaska, Hawaii, and all the island territories under U.S. control, not to mention the part of Antarctica that's under our country's control."

"Okay, that makes a bit more sense, although it still shocks me that we have a worldwide spread of ghosts like this." Danny yawned briefly. "I'll call the others here in a little while. Make sure that their PDAs are set to go in an hour or so, okay?"

"Gotcha, Danny." Tucker walked out, furiously punching a series of commands into the small electronic device in his hands.

Danny closed the door softly and rubbed at his eyes.

"Tired?"

"Not really. I'm just not used to being able to sit back for so long. It's like time suddenly slowed down around us and I don't know where the heck the controls are to get things moving again." Dropping down next to Sam, he laid his hand over hers, intertwining their fingers. "Well, I'll find the switch soon enough."

"Why do you say that?"

Danny turned his head, a look of seriousness deeply etched into his face and showing readily through his eyes. "I have to, because as soon as we get the nine out there to check on their units, I'm taking the fight back to where it belongs."

"We're going after Malhecor again?"

Danny nodded. "What else can we do? If we just sit around like this…"

"You're rushing."

"What?!" Danny's head snapped towards Sam, and he looked at her incredulously. "All that he's done and you say that I'm _rushing_ things?"

"You are. I can sense it." She ran her hands over his shoulders as she sat behind him, pouring her energy into his body. "I can feel it inside you, this knowing sense of vengeance, this need to fix what happened to Wulf. You want to make sure that Malhecor can't threaten anyone else, but you're slipping towards his twisted sense of righteousness."

"What makes you say that?"

"You mean aside from the fact that I can read into your heart?"

Danny shrugged, tilting his head to the side.

"Your eyes are shot through with black."

Danny wheeled around, half-stumbling to his mirror. Sure enough, his radiant ocean blues were broken up by lines of black, the shadows over his eyes making them look like shattered mirrors. "This can't be happening," he said, dropping his head. Calling on his Guardian soul, he cocooned himself within his powers, cobalt threads weaving through the air around him.

Sam reached into his mind and found him searching, probing his own body as he had done hers, and she realized that he was searching for any trace of Malhecor's toxin. She raised an eyebrow, wondering why he, who hadn't been cut once during the debacle, would be seeking out the venom within his own system before fearing that she had poisoned him during her assault.

A flash, the smallest bit of a vision, ran through Danny's mind, disrupting his concentration, and the bands of magick slowly enveloping him faltered and vanished.

Sam was at his side as he pulled up his shirt, revealing a set of four dots just above the waistband of his pants. "What the heck?" was all that she could say in response.

"Didn't you notice Malhecor's hands? He's got these ridges along his knuckles." Touching the small scars, Danny pulled a blade from the ether, opening a small cut near the marks. "He punched me before attacking you, and I didn't even think that I'd been poisoned by that until just now."

Sam and Danny simultaneously moved into the small cut, seeking out the poison that was digging through Danny's system. Organ by organ, they came up with nothing, and Danny started to panic, the healing magick he was moving through his body faltering once more. Only when Sam found the toxin did his worry dissipate, and he relaxed, the filaments of viridian magick attacking the blotch of murky fluid latched onto the back of his left lung. Sam quickly removed the blot, containing it as he had and guiding it out of his body. Grabbing an empty soda can from his garbage can, she dumped the toxin into it, and Sam flew down to the basement, depositing it into an empty beaker near the other puddle of sludge. Returning upstairs, she had only one question for Danny.

"Now what?"

- - - - -

"Your number of units to check up on has gone up by almost twenty, but your unit locations are all now within the same general region on the globe. Cut your unit checks down to three days, and make sure that you check on each and every one of the refugees. We'll be awaiting your return."

The nine remaining Warriors bowed before disappearing, beginning the examinations of the exiled ghosts.

Sam called to Danny from the room above. _Danny, you on your way yet?_

_Be there in a second,_ he replied as he ran his hands through his hair. _You think I put too much of a rush on it by telling them they only have three days to report back?_

_Not really. It gives Malhecor less time to recover, and also keeps us abreast of any changes or problems with the ghosts. I think it's a reasonable amount of time, especially if you look at it mathematically. It's about eighty-two units a day, approximately sixteen hundred and forty ghosts within a seventy-two hour span._

_That's still twenty-two ghosts every hour._

_You didn't tell the Warriors to regale the ghosts with stories of their afterlives. You told them the few markers we know of that would present themselves if Malhecor has taken over any of them, so it's not going to take but a minute or so to see if any of them are present._

Danny launched himself through the ceiling, alighting on the top of the ops center, the stars wheeling overhead in the ebony darkness.

Sam stood there, hair blowing in the summer wind, and she smiled as he caressed her arm lightly, fingers once again tracing the reminder she wore of their failure. "So, no wail, right?"

"Right. They're useful, but far too destructive in close quarters. The last thing we want is casualties because of an accident we could have prevented." Danny looked over the empty street, body perfectly still as he drew an etheric blade, the curved short sword light in his hand. Spinning, he was somewhat surprised to find that Sam had been prepared, raising a shielded arm and deflecting the lateral slash he'd begun their training with. Dodging out of the way of the small mace she wielded with her other hand, he dove from the ops center, the small blade being exchanged for a double-bladed sword. Landing, he rolled back, managing to avoid Sam's diving stab, her mace and ectoplasmic shield replaced with a shimmering katana.

Seeing Danny with his new chosen weapon, Sam pulled a wakazashi from the ether, matching the number of blades as well as proffering herself a suitable defense. She moved expertly to the side as Danny launched his attack, stabbing forward before turning the blades around, the back blade moving to cleave Sam in two.

Letting go of her katana as she twisted her wrist, she reversed her hold on the weapon and stabbed it into the ground. The arcing blade in Danny's grip clanged noisily against hers, but her motion had successfully stalled his attack, and she tossed her smaller blade towards him to force him to back off.

Danny sensed the attack seconds before it happened, managing to drop his larger weapon in favor of two daggers, the lightweight blades adequate defense against the attack of her invisible clone. Unable to see his opponent, Danny's eyes glazed over white, falling into the rhythm of battle as his senses expanded around him. Visible now to his senses, Danny returned the aggression of his foe, forcing her backwards and into the street. Forming his own clone, Danny deflected the second attack that had been launched at him, this time from Sam herself, and the small dart bounced harmlessly against the pavement, batted aside by a mottled grey quarterstaff.

Sam stood, feet secured to the ground by her energy, her hands drawing weapon after weapon, flinging the injurious tools towards Danny, watching as each was knocked to the asphalt, bounced for a second, and then disappeared. Each weapon differed, size, shape, and weight of no matter to Sam. Throwing needles, kunai, daggers, chakram – each had their turn, and each was knocked away. Pulling up her energy, she flew towards the two Dannys, a kusari-gama now drawn. Flinging the chained sickle towards Danny, she was surprised to see her clone go flying against a tree across the street, her focus slightly interrupted by a thudding sensation against the back of her head.

Raising shields around his arms, Danny grabbed at Sam's weapon, his energy protecting him from the lethal blade. Pulling hard on the chain, he watched as Sam flew into his clone's flip kick, moving into the air as she released her blade.

Sam hadn't been expecting the retaliation she was suffering, and let herself drop ever so slightly into her battle-mind, tentatively touching it to see if she had truly been cleaned of the vile venom that had nearly destroyed both her and Danny before. Finding no such trace, she flowed into her power, her eyes shimmering red as she skillfully twisted clear of the dagger Danny had thrown. Her clone finally regaining her feet, she added her clones' attacks to the fray, kicking Danny square in the stomach before dissipating.

Danny flinched, his clone having taken a direct hit, and he recalled his duplicate, the pain rolling over him as he did so. Hovering slightly above the pavement, a flicker of a thought crossed his mind, and he sank beneath the street.

Sam raised her brow, pouring her energy over the street, opening herself as Danny had. She could sense multiple clones underground, knowing that Danny was probably using a few more that she couldn't sense. Landing on the sidewalk in front of Fenton Works, she called up nine clones, allowing them to fan around her, each drawing a different weapon, their eyes sliding to full red, each raising their weapon as they probed for where she felt the clones.

Suddenly, they were upon her, each of her clones battling against three of Danny's, and the overwhelming attack worked quite efficiently. A clone to her left spun to deflect a thrown dagger, Danny's apparent weapon of choice, only to find herself embedded on the business end of a spear. Reeling away, the clone batted aside the bloody weapon, clutching at her stomach.

Sam felt a rivulet of blood, shocked as she saw the wound reciprocated on her own body, and quickly dissipated the clone, healing herself. As each of her remaining clones took near-fatal hits, she staggered back, the wrenching pain tearing through her as each clone disappearing as she found to retain control over her healing powers.

Only then, once she managed to heal the last of the damage, did she feel it, and it was already too late to escape. Silver strands of energy wrapped around her wrists, binding her arms behind her, and all of the Dannys around her vanished, the single remaining one standing a few steps behind her.

"You've lost," he stated flatly.

The words were barely out of his mouth when a searing pain tore up his arms, and he found the same type of bindings pulling his arms against his body, and the glinting blade became visible as the last clone of Sam's shimmered back into sight. Hugging herself tightly against his body, the clone drew the icy blade to his throat, her energy binding his ankles and knees as well, preventing any form of escape. "Who lost, Danny?"

He blinked, attempting to shift away, but found himself bound to where he was.

"Don't bother. If I concentrate on the purpose of my magick, the energy responds as such. Right now, you can't shift, you can't clone, you can't move, and if it would further prove my point, you wouldn't be breathing." The clone relaxed her grip, pulling away and releasing Danny before vanishing.

Danny rubbed his wrists gently, nodding at Sam. "Good job. I actually thought that I won that round."

"Didn't sense the last clone?"

"As injured as I figured you were, I didn't think you'd have been able to concentrate enough to have one moving."

Sam shook her head. "Never assume anything, Danny. It could be the last mistake you'd ever make. Malhecor won't be so willing to hold back."

"I know."

Sam smiled at Danny before launching herself through his window, lithely rolling onto her cot.

Danny followed her trajectory, landing softly atop her, lips claiming hers for a second before shifting over to his own bed. "Night, Sam. Love you."

"Love you, too, Danny."


	29. Chapter XXIX

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom _and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXIX**

Night stole over Amity Park, the moonless sky foreboding, a perverse silence filling the quiet air.

Gunfire suddenly broke out from the vicinity of the park, and there was the distinct sound of bodies hitting the ground, a patter like that of rain accompanying the scream of ectoplasmic weapons fire. By the hundreds, Danny's clones fell to the earth, dissipating in accordance with the rules of their training, one by one taking hits as the battle raged on. A group of individuals shot out of the bushes, heading towards the main street, three people in front and two in back providing cover fire and bringing down even more of Danny's clones. Ducking into an alleyway, they huddled in the darkness, slowly catching their breath. Danny had brought the fight a lot harder tonight, and with the sudden inclusion of a fourth training run after sunset, there was little room for rest among those who had chosen to stay and fight.

"This isn't what I expected," Dash said, huffing slightly.

"I can't blame the Fentons, though," his father answered. "I think they're wise to run the simulation during the night."

"I'm not arguing the decision, but why couldn't they just start the noon run a little later and keep us at three sessions per day?"

"Cut the chatter, Alpha Group," Sam's voice cut across the airwaves. "You've got about thirty headed your way, and I don't think he's coming in from the air."

The team responded to Sam's warning by climbing the fire escape of the adjacent building, positioning themselves in trios on every floor. Training their guns around the area, their scanners showed the approach of a group of ghosts, and they waited to fire.

Danny's head poked through the asphalt, hidden by the lengthening shadows cast by the encroaching darkness. Looking above, he saw the members of Alpha Group watching for him, already alerted to his approach by Sam's senses. Sending a few clones into the air, they were quickly dispatched, falling to the ground and disappearing. Sending yet more into the fray, he knew that they, too, would be fired on and fall, but at the same time, he sent a set of ten clones around the block to strike from above. After all, he wanted to see just how well-prepared the troops had become.

Chatter broke out above him, but with his comm unit turned off, he couldn't tell what they were saying, but knew well enough what it had been when the unit on the top floor turned and started firing skyward, dropping every last clone, despite their silent and invisible approach. _Good job,_ he thought. _They're really getting used to relying on their eyes and their scanners, and they're doing a lot better than when we first started._

Pulling himself back under the pavement, Danny launched a series of clones in three different areas of the park, two hundred clones against each of the units still stationed there, his scout clones trying to find out where his mother's group went…well, Jazz's group now, since Maddie had opted out of the training sessions earlier on. She had been working with Vlad for the entire day, the two of them monitoring the troops in the ops center simulator, Maddie busy providing advice as she observed the troops, though only four had been knocked out of the public runs. Under her watchful eye, Danny felt okay that his mom was no longer on the field.

A shiver ran down his spine, and Danny wiped the thought from his mind about how desperately Vlad must be trying to woo his mother yet again. _If I find out he's been hitting on her again, we're going to have a long talk about it._

Seeing through the eyes of one of his clones, he found Jazz and the rest of Epsilon Group heading towards the town square. _Looking for open ground, are you? What is the tactical advantage you're looking to gain?_ Watching a little longer, Danny saw as they slipped into the bushes and underbrush surrounding the town hall. _Ah, so they're planning a surprise attack._

_Danny, what are you doing?_

_Scouting._

_You aren't planning on removing all of Epsilon, are you?_

_If they aren't up for the task, I'm not going to take it easy on them. Don't worry, though, I'm not going into this with that being my goal._

_You know, you're the one with the tactical advantage here._

_And what if there were ghosts working for Malhecor that just so happened to see Epsilon move into position like I just did?_

Danny heard nothing from Sam for a long moment, followed by a curt, whispered thought. _Good point._

_Okay, then. Now get out of my head and focus on keeping the teams safe._

_Fine._

Danny watched as a few of the bushes near the town hall rustled, and he created more clones, sending them swiftly through the underground, seeking out the members of Epsilon Group.

Bursting out of the ground, eyes rolled over to white, Danny was more than shocked as he came up behind the bushes and found nothing. Though he'd just seen the members of Epsilon move behind these same shrubs, they were nowhere to be found now. Spreading out his senses, he found four of them hiding in the pushes across the square, but was still unable to pin down where the others were. Slipping into invisibility, the clones spread out into the square, creeping along on all fours, low to the ground and silent, ears and eyes viciously attuned to the world around them.

The locations of the other ten members of Epsilon Group were all too soon discovered. Whether it had been his own oversight or a new set of cloaking suits, the members of Epsilon Group were on his clones in an instant, bursting forth from the shadows, one by one taking his clones down with stun batons and ecto-charged gloves, no defenses coming up in time against the onslaught.

Danny shifted to the area, ready to take on a few of the team members on his own, willing to go fourteen-on-one if the need arose. The first and only member to attack, however, was his sister, a spinning jump kick nearly catching him across the forehead, but he'd managed to clear her foot in time. A shielded arm caught her right hook, and he delivered one of his own, impressed by how easily she'd dodged, moving in for a low sweep kick.

Jazz nimbly flipped out of the way, pulling a stun baton from her hip and activating the blade. "It's not going to be so easy to take me down, little brother," she taunted.

"You just keep thinking that," he answered, pushing up from the ground and delivering a mule kick to her stomach, sending her rolling across the square. "You keep letting your guard down and you aren't going to be teasing ghosts much longer, big sis."

She rolled clear of him as he flipped over, his heel contacting with the ground where her back had been seconds before.

Danny's eyes suddenly betrayed him, or so it seemed, as Jazz vanished from sight, appearing behind him soon after, a swift roundhouse kick catching him in the ribcage and sending him clear across the square, his body twitching as an ecto-charge surged through him. Standing and shunting a surge of healing energy over himself, he returned to the ground a moment later, dodging a kick that would have otherwise caught him in the neck. Another member of Epsilon Group, face covered by a mask, moved in for the attack, and Danny phazed into the ground, not only to avoid the punch that the person had thrown, but to get clear of the kick that was being sent his way by another cloaked member of the team.

Rising out of the steps of the town hall, Danny let himself stretch his senses out over the area, fully exposing each of the members to his mind. One by one, they moved in to attack, and each, in their turn, was batted aside, until Danny reached his target.

"Tired of this game yet, little brother?"

"You wish," was his reply as he winked out of sight, appearing again and again, each time in a different location. What Jazz wouldn't know, unless she risked diverting her attention to the ghost scanner on her wrist, was that each time he'd shifted to a new location, he'd left a clone in that spot, invisible to the naked eye. Once he'd established a perimeter, he slid back into the shadows, watching carefully, sensing his clones since he could not see them, and waited to strike.

Jazz spun her head around, looking for where her brother had gone, when her comm suddenly went active. "Jazz, watch out," one of her teammates called. "He's got a set of fifteen surrounding us." Jazz nodded, touching a piece of her suit collar, a line of metal working its way up the side of her face, forming into a small tracking screen that covered her right eye, a piece of tech Danny hadn't been aware was a part of the suits.

"I see him. Watch your backs, people."

Danny held his perimeter guard, diverting his attention instead to the three other groups of clones he had, more than pleased to have so few taken down. Even without his full attention, the clones managed to put up a good fight and still manage to get through unscathed. Blinking, Danny focused back on the group before him, shifting invisibly behind his sister. His plan failed spectacularly as Jazz caught him square in the nose with a punch thrown over her shoulder, followed in close succession by a snap kick that sent him not only into one of his own clones, but also into the mass of close-combat fighters.

One by one, he felt his clones take hits, and was more than surprised at how well they had held their own against unseen foes, disappearing as he shifted, barely dodging a flip kick that had been aimed at his stomach.

- - - - -

Sam had called an end to the battle simulation about five minutes before, but had been unable, so far, to find Danny anywhere, and he wasn't answering her mental calls. Finally asking if anyone had seen him, Jazz answered that the last time he was seen was near the town square. Thanking her, Sam shifted, her senses reaching for Danny. It didn't take long to find him, his energy signature incredibly strong. Sam couldn't understand why he was registering so intensely, and she flew up to the roof of the town hall, and, touching Danny's powers with her own, she brought down his invisibility, finding him cocooned inside of his healing powers. "Danny, are you alright?"

Danny opened a small hole in his shell, smiling weakly. _Don't worry, Sam. I'm okay, and no, it's not the toxin. I tried taking on Epsilon Group by myself and met with a severe amount of resistance. I think someone managed to crack two of my ribs._ The azure bubble surrounding him faltered slightly, but soon steadied back out. _I'm fine now, but remind me to never get my sister mad at me. I don't like getting my butt whooped by my older sister. It's embarrassing._

"I don't think that your healing powers are strong enough to fix your damaged ego, Danny."

_Tell me about it._

Sam laughed, taking Danny into her arms as he pulled himself free of his powers, the blue light slowly dying off. Pressing a soft kiss against his lips, she smiled, shifting them both to the Fenton's living room, plopping down onto the couch beside him.

"Why home?"

"It's been three days, hasn't it? They should be back soon."

As if Sam's words had been some kind of signal, the nine Warriors appeared in the house, bowing before the two seated figures before sitting themselves down on the floor.

"So, status report?"

"All good," Technus replied. "Not a problem with the lot of them. I think we managed to get the Zone clear before Malhecor could affect any more than he had already."

"That's what I'm starting to think," Sam replied. "Well, whenever you're ready, start the runs again. Danny and I are going to be heading back into the Zone in the morning, so we need you to keep your eyes and ears open. After what happened last time…" she stopped, drifting off.

"Do not worry yourselves for the mistakes of the past," Dorathea said, a small smile gracing her features. "Only in realizing that which is wrong with the past can you make the right moves in the present for the security of the future."

Danny and Sam both looked at the dragoness, surprised at her insight, and nodded their heads in agreement. "You're right. It's just hard to figure out what went wrong when we stayed on the offensive as long as we could."

"That might be your problem right there," Bullet cut in. "If you're always attacking, your attention is off how you can defend yourself against your opponent. You're facing an enemy that has a violent toxin capable of altering your very nature, one that turns you against those you are meant to protect. You need to find a way to keep defending and only attacking when an opening presents itself. You have a particular ability to do that, do you not?"

"The battle mentality," Danny answered.

"Then use it. If that's how you find the opening, that's what you need to do. We've more than enough power among us to handle Malhecor's goons. You go take care of what you have to."

Danny stood up, Sam close behind. "If that's what it takes, then we'll do our best. We'll be leaving for the Zone shortly before the troops are supposed to wake up so that they have a little sleep under their belts should all hell decide to break loose. Kitty," Danny called, and she and Shadow turned to face him. "You're on special assignment, so stay here. Who's willing to cover Kitty's units?"

"I will," Ember volunteered. "I'm already covering the eastern half of the States and Hawaii, so I'll take her watch, too. Besides, a few members of the band are on her list, and I'd like to make sure they're doing okay."

"Alright," Danny said as Kitty handed over her PDA. "May the blessings of the Creatrix be with you. Ember, you've got as much time as you need to check up on all the units, but make sure that you report in after you finish each of the lists, okay?"

She nodded, and eight of the Warriors vanished, Kitty and Danny heading into the kitchen as Sam climbed the stairs, heading for bed.

"What is it that you need me for?" Kitty inquired.

"Technically, I need both you and Shadow. I don't want Sam knowing about this, mostly because she'll likely think I'm being over-protective. I need you to keep an eye on her grandmother, and let Shadow track down her parents so that he can keep an eye on them. The last thing I need is for us to survive all of this to find someone in her family got hurt. My folks can hold their own, but…"

"I get it. Shadow, you heard him." She pulled a small piece of paper out of her purse, scribbling a quick note on it before handing it to the midnight shade. "Get a move on, boy. Let's do our best for Johnny, okay?"

Shadow growled out a joyous response before taking to the air, beginning his search for the Manson parents.

"As for you, I need one more favor – make sure that you tell my folks were we've gone. I haven't let them know that we're going back for round two, and after what happened to Sam, they're likely to be less than supportive of us going in alone."

Kitty nodded. "I understand."

"Kitty?" Danny said as he headed for his room.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for all your help. You and the rest of the Warriors have made this whole effort so much easier on us, and I don't think that there is any way we can repay you."

"Don't worry about it. Just get rid of that scumbag of a ghost and make sure he doesn't make more suffer like Johnny did."

Danny laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, sensing that she was, again, fighting back tears. "I will, Kitty."

She nodded, disappearing as Danny shot through the ceiling and into his room.

- - - - -

"What did you need to talk to Kitty for?"

"Just…she's still not taking losing Johnny that well, so I figured she could use a quick pick-me-up chat. She's doing a little better, so I'm sure she'll be okay." He dropped down onto his bed. "Get as much sleep as you can. We're going to be gone by six."

"Okay."

"Hey, Sam?"

"Huh?"

"Don't worry about tomorrow, okay? We'll be fine."

Sam smiled as she drifted off to sleep, comforted by his words.

- - - - -

Darkness was just starting to pull back from the land, but the vibrations of Danny's cell phone were enough to wake him, and he looked at the clock. 5:45 AM. It was time to get ready.

Leaning over towards Sam's cot, Danny shook her gently. "Sam," he whispered. "Sam, it's time. Get up."

"Huh?" she asked groggily.

"Time to go, Angel. Let's get a move on."

Silently, the two of them slipped beyond the realm of physical touch and sight, sliding through the house until they were standing on the front steps. Touching down, they became tangible once more, remaining out of sight of any electronic eyes that might have been watching.

"You ready?" Sam asked.

"Can we actually ever be?" Danny returned.

With that, they crossed through the dimensions, ready to challenge their enemy one final time.

- - - - -

Maddie awoke slowly, pulling herself free of Jack's arm, noting the quiet of the house as she sat up. _All the better for me,_ she thought. Pushing herself out of bed, she tottered towards the bathroom, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she shut the door behind her. Turning on the tap, she splashed a few handfuls of cold water on her face, letting the droplets fall slowly into the basin before reaching for the towel on the side of the sink. Patting her face, she turned her lilac eyes to the mirror and stretched out slowly, waking up the rest of the way. Walking out of the bathroom a few minutes later, she was ready to start the day and get started on breakfast for the family. The sooner she got that taken care of, the better, especially since Danny and Sam were likely going to be starting the practice session right after. Walking downstairs, she wandered into the kitchen, barely suppressing a yelp of shock at seeing a ghost at the table.

"Mrs. Fenton?" the ghost asked.

"Yes?"

"My name is Kitty. Danny asked me to stay here and make sure that I keep an eye on Sam's grandmother. He also wanted me to let you know that he and Sam left a while ago for the Zone, but that he doesn't want you to worry. He seemed pretty confident after the meeting yesterday that they'd be able to take Malhecor out this time around."

Maddie was mentally fighting the urges to both scream in shock at the actions of her son and to go running into the Zone in the Specter Speeder, guns blazing, to go find him and make sure that he didn't get hurt. In the end, she took a few calming breaths, silently consoling herself, confident that Danny, as the Guardian he was, would be able to keep his promise.

"Be safe, you two," she whispered under her breath.

- - - - -

"So, you finally figured it'd be easier sacrificing yourselves to me? What a pleasant surprise. After the loss of that mangy ghost wolf's soul, I could use the power of yours to get free. To what do I owe this sudden cowardice?"

"To nothing, Malhecor," Danny snarled. "We're here to fight. We've no reason to surrender."

"What a pity. It'll be such a shame to take you two down first. There are so many smaller fish that I could fry, but since you two insist on getting in my way…" Malhecor drew his blade, a wicked-looking black scimitar, and held it out before him, pointing the tip towards the Guardians. "Come to me. Bring yourselves upon my blade."

Sam and Danny drew their own weapons, Danny choosing a longsword as Sam chose, once more, to wield a katana, the two letting their eyes roll over, falling without hesitation into the depths of their battle-mind.

Malhecor smiled, launching himself towards the pair, mildly shocked when the pair split up, their blades batting aside his own as they moved away, more defensive than they'd been the first time. Targeting Sam, he moved towards her, blade coming in for an overhead strike, one she nimbly held back with her blade before spinning clear of the sword. Malhecor's eyes went wide as he saw the scar on her arm, shocked to know that she survived so great a poisoning as he had apparently delivered. It seemed that the Guardians were more resilient in their human bodies than he originally expected.

Sam used his momentary lapse in attention to deliver a swipe to his midsection, managing to slice neatly into him before booting him in the chest, sending him careening away.

Her attack was unexpected, and Malhecor felt how deeply her blade had cut. Passing a hand over the wound, dark energy bound around it, stopping the bleeding and sealing the incision, a dusky gash covering his abdomen. Suddenly, multiple clones of hers appeared around him, and each drew a pair of blades, Sam herself having pulled a wakazashi from the ether, favoring dual-weapon defensive techniques.

Howling in pain, Malhecor reached over his shoulder, pulling a kunai from his back, its blade driven deep. Turning to look at the thrower, he saw Danny, along with a few clones of his own, armed and ready to move in when the moment was right.

Sam took advantage of his momentary diversion again, one of her unseen clones firing off a pair of arrows, both striking Malhecor in the side, causing yet another howl of pain and rage. She smiled faintly as Malhecor turned his eyes towards her clones, trying to find the minute details that might reveal to him who was the most vulnerable.

The twang of a bowstring was heard in the vast silence, and Malhecor barely managed to move out of the way in time, ebony energy weaving over his wounds, and he smirked as the arrow passed harmlessly by. Gripping his scimitar tightly, he began his dance amongst the clones, hoping that, just maybe, dumb luck would have his blade cut through the real Guardian lost amidst the multitudes.

Sam dispersed her clones as her foe moved through the masses, dissipating the visible ones that Malhecor had been aiming for as well as the invisible ones that would have otherwise been hit by his weapon. Beyond sight herself, she mentally poked Danny, signaling him to begin his own attack.

Raising shields around both forearms, he charged towards his opponent, catching nothing but the edge of a blade on his own, forced almost immediately to back off as Malhecor continued to press his own attack, now aiming for both Danny and Sam's clones, as well as Danny himself, though he figured Malhecor was unaware that he was personally in the fray.

Driven to the brink of insanity by the pain, Malhecor's methodical attack soon became frantic, his wild swings catching whatever he could manage, and he landed a few solid hits before the Guardian he'd hit dissipated, turning out to be only another clone.

_If he gets one of your clones, watch out. I've already got toxin to dump, so there's not a lot of time between transfer,_ Danny called.

_You're okay?_

_Yeah, I'm fine. It was a surface poisoning anyway, so no problem._

Sam looked up, the last of her clones finally having to be taken out of the area.

Malhecor, realizing that, at least for the moment, he was safe, screamed to the empty world around him, "Afraid to take me on yourselves, you cowards?! You call yourselves Guardians, yet you hide in the shadows of invisibility, too scared to attack? You are nothing! You are bugs, wasted vessels clinging to a dream of life when Oblivion is all that truly belongs!"

"We're not afraid, Malhecor," Danny called. "We're simply waiting."

"We are waiting for you to realize the futility of it all," Sam continued. "You can't last against us, and you know it."

"There's no truth to that, and _you _know that," Malhecor returned. "I took you down once, and I can do it again."

Danny smirked to himself. "That's not what happened, and you know it. The only reason we fell was because we had to sacrifice our physical forms to bind you. The winners there were us, not you."

"That's not how I remember it," Malhecor returned, drawing a second scimitar.

Sam scoffed, "Looks like all the years bound messed up your memories a little there."

Danny quickly released his sword, letting it fall back into the ether, his mind processing the information from the first wave, a startling realization coming to him. Malhecor, in the process of falling from grace as he had, had lost some of the powers he and Sam had acquired as Guardians. He no longer had the ability to clone himself, nor could he shift locations within the dimensions at will. He only had brutal and barbarian tactics available to keep from being further injured, and Danny was fully willing to test out that theory.

Shifting behind Malhecor, Danny caught him in the back of the knees, dropping him long enough for Danny to shift in front of him, delivering a swift heel drop to Malhecor's wrist, forcing him to let go of one blade as the howled in pain, the pressure point that had been hit shooting flames up his arm. Danny spun, delivering a second kick to the opposite wrist, thoroughly disarming his opponent. Malhecor had, by this time, gotten back to his feet, but Danny responded with a vicious scissor kick between his legs that sent him sprawling once more, the assault followed by a flip kick that sent Malhecor reeling into the distance, crashing onto one of the many floating landmasses that waited below.

Shifting into the battle, Sam entered the fray, delivering a deft uppercut that caught Malhecor in the nose, and Sam smiled wickedly at the sound of bone snapping against her fist. Ducking beneath her opponent's left hook, she kicked out, catching him in the chest, and sending him flying once more, this time forcing his back to meet with a large rock outcropping, his black blood smearing across the rocks from where his back had impacted against the jagged cliff.

Shifting yet again, Danny sent Malhecor tumbling across the clearing, a snap kick catching the former Guardian across the skull, dazing him long enough for Sam to land another hit, his cheek shattering in the assault.

Crying out in pain, Malhecor flung a pair of daggers at his assailants, moving them back long enough for his body to finally begin catching up with the damage, dark power coursing over the wounds, mending the numerous broken bones and weapons wounds he'd caught in so short a time. His opponents had ceased playing around with him, and he wondered if, perhaps, the battle mentality that he had lost so long ago had given them some clue as to how they could take him down. Insanity began to creep through the pathways of his mind, driven by the fear of true annihilation, a thought that scared him more than any other thing in the worlds.

Closing his eyes for a mere second, Malhecor solidified his will, reaching for his blades once again, wielding once more the scimitars that Danny had forced him to drop. Scars matted his body, and he turned his head to the waiting Guardians, a devious smile on his face. "It's time to end this little game."

Danny and Sam both saw the look in his eyes, realizing that whatever tenuous threads of sanity and coherent though Malhecor had been hanging on to had finally snapped. Pulling up shields and arming themselves, they readied for attack, slipping so far into their battle mentality that, in seconds, each of them only sensed themselves and Malhecor, the rest of existence quickly drifting away.

Malhecor launched himself at the pair, frenzied as the fear drove deeper into his warped mind, and his blades became a whirl, not only because of the mania within, but because of his need to respond to the speed with which Sam and Danny responded, seemingly able to see the attacks before they happened.

Sparks of light erupted as blades met, Danny and Sam having to switch their weapons often as Malhecor's toxin-rich scimitars began seeping acid, their own silver blades slowly being eaten away. A blur of silver, black, and white, the trio began the lethal dance that would end the war, though in whose favor no onlooker would have been able to tell.

Sam parried a swing, batting Malhecor's blade aside and cutting into his arm, which served now only to enrage him further, and she barely avoided the return swing of the blade, backing up with barely enough time to register that her shielded arm was the only thing that saved her, his sword having glanced off of it.

Danny swung low, then high, then low again, surprised by how well Malhecor was fighting, through he was still uncertain as to how much of Malhecor's mind still retained its coherence. Their opponent was swinging like a beast gone mad, and as his swipes and stabs began to grow wilder still, their advantage over him soon began to wane as predictability became a precious thing they no longer had.

A swipe of one diseased blade caught against Sam's, but rather than sliding along her blade and away from her body, Sam let out a cry of anguish as the shadowed edge bit into her arm, reopening her flesh of her scarred arm, and she shifted away from the battle, worried about leaving the fray as she turned her attention to removing the poison. Pouring her energy into the cut, she gathered the toxin before dumping it into the vast emptiness of the Zone, passing a hand over the wound to reseal it. Looking up at the sound of Danny's pained cry, her eyes met with a sight she had prayed never to see.

Danny had ordered Sam clear of the fight as soon as she'd been hit, continuing the fight alone. Both arms were sheathed in silver energy, warding off the vile poison that flowed from Malhecor's blades, and he moved into the attack, both his swords catching his foes. A swift attack followed, coming from both above and below, and Danny parried both, letting out a cry as one blade cut through his own, the diseased weapon stopped only as hit the bone in Danny's upper leg. Looking up, he sensed Sam's shock, and fell silent a Malhecor's second blade cut through his chest, the silver-stained blade erupting out of his back. He choked slightly, blood seeping through clenched teeth, as he felt his left lung collapse. He was sure the toxin had eaten through the walls of his heart, and called desperately for his healing energy, but the acid worked too quickly. White eyes bled over silver for a moment before fading to their normal luminescent blue, then clouding over and fading, the life gone from his body.

"NO!!" Sam screamed, watching as Danny's limp body fell to the ground far below, silver blood pooling beneath him. She reached for his mind, finding nothing where his consciousness should have been, and felt the beginnings of tears in her eyes, violently brushing the pain aside. The Scroll had left her believing that they could not die, but she now realized that it had only meant by natural causes.

Her eyes rolled over to blood red once more, deep crimson orbs locking onto the one who had taken Danny from her. Diving towards him, her blades met against his, silver energy coursing over her body as she gave into the Guardian spirit, driving forward to avenge the loss of a dear friend and the love of her life.

Malhecor did not know what to make of the sudden onslaught he was under, but responded with the same ferocity as before, knowing enough to realize that this creature attacking him was also trying to end his very existence, and he knew that, above all else, he needed to survive. Ducking a swing, he brought his blade up, driving it through Sam's abdomen.

Sam let out a choked scream, a single tear slipping from one eye as she realized that they had utterly failed all that they were meant to protect. Sam's final thought was for her grandmother, and for the comfort she had failed to bring her in the aftermath of Malhecor's escape. With an unvoiced apology, Sam's eyes drifted shut, her world rolling over to oblivious darkness.


	30. Chapter XXX

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXX**

The GIW agent that sat at the console to which Sam and Danny's microphones had been transmitting dropped his head. He'd heard Sam's desperate cry as, he could only assume by the sound coming from Danny's end, the other Guardian was slain. Moments later, Sam's strangled cry came through the speakers, and the button near the console he was at was pressed, setting off a chain reaction, alerting each of the numerous anti-ghost agencies around the world that attack was imminent.

Now, the only thing left was to deliver the news to the Fenton and Manson families, and to pray that something would be able to take down this abomination.

- - - - -

Maddie had just finished the dishes from lunch, having fed the members of the task force that had been running simulations in the ops center, when Vlad walked into the kitchen, followed closely by two men dressed in matching white suits. She didn't recognize the agents, and they didn't match what Danny had told her of the men that he and Sam had met while visiting the governor. "May I help you gentlemen? Something to drink, perhaps."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Fenton, but we don't have the time. As soon as we leave here, we are under orders to mobilize."

"I take it that Danny and Sam are trying to keep Malhecor from breaking through to our world?"

The taller of the two agents sighed heavily, and Maddie finally noticed the look of fear that was sinking through Vlad's eyes. "Mrs. Fenton, I hate to be the one who has to bring this news to you, but…"

Anything that the agent said after that was drowned out by the heart-rending wail that escaped Maddie's throat, cutting through the air like a knife.

- - - - -

Kitty stood by Victoria's side, comforting the older woman as best she could. The scream from downstairs had served to awaken the woman's deepest fears, and she had fallen into a fit of crying before falling to her knees, praying with a fervor before unknown to her that what that scream had meant wasn't true.

Her granddaughter could not be gone. Not before her. Not when the world needed her most.

Samantha was not one to vanish when something so important needed to be done.

- - - - -

Jazz hung her head, fighting off the wave of tears. With Danny and Sam going after Malhecor, the remaining members of the task force that had been running public simulations had been busy training against their own, portable shields raised against ghost weaponry, the members of Epsilon Team fighting against each other. The transmission had come through about an hour into training, and everyone had stopped where they were.

The last hope for humanity, short of divine intervention, had just fallen. Danny and Sam were gone.

And Jazz broke down in the middle of the park, the thought of her brother never coming home again tearing through her heart with an icy blade.

- - - - -

Dash looked over at his father, then to Kwan, a guilty look overshadowing his otherwise stoic features.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Kwan asked, cringing a little at the obvious answer to the question.

Dash shook his head. "All this time, he's been trying to keep us safe." Dropping his head into his hands, Dash sighed heavily.

Kwan walked over to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Dash, what's the matter?"

"I never got to apologize for all the crap I've been putting him through." He looked up at his friend, trying desperately not to show the evident pain in his eyes. "Danny Phantom was my hero, and I never got to apologize."

- - - - -

Vlad sat down on the cot that had been set aside for him, looking at the silver bracelets that wound around his wrists. Flexing his arms, he could feel the slight strain of the metal that was woven into his wrist bones, and he dropped his head, his hands dangling between his legs. He'd tried so hard to get the young man to follow in his footsteps, to become something more than just another one of the 'good guys', to grow in power like he had. He would have trained him, raised him as his own, eventually using Danny as leverage to get Maddie to be with him.

In the past few weeks, Danny had surpassed everything Vlad could have ever taught him, gained powers beyond that of any normal ghost, and became the saving grace of the world. And in one sweeping instant, that glimmering life, the spark of hope for salvation, was gone. Without Daniel and Samantha, there was little left to keep hope alive, especially after one heard what this entity was truly capable of, and that death was the fuel that gave it strength.

And that creature had just snuffed out the life force of the two strongest beings in existence.

Vlad knew that he would be next. Malhecor needed him to die.

- - - - -

Jack dropped down on the couch, mind still refusing to process what he had heard. It wasn't possible. Danny and Sam couldn't be gone. It was too much to take, so it couldn't be true.

The plate of fudge and cookies that he'd swiped from the fridge sat untouched on the table in front of him, the living room empty save for him. He raised a hand, made to grab a cookie, but soon chose to just continue sitting his silence, his hand falling.

It was so impossible for Danny and Sam to be dead, yet that had been what he'd heard. These past few weeks had been doses of unreality, from finding out that his only son and his son's best friend were half-ghost, then finding they were the ones who could save the world.

It was all too much to take.

And there, alone in the living room, sweets untouched, Jack began to cry.

- - - - -

Valerie cast a quick glance over in Tucker's direction, the techno-geek forlornly staring into space, his eyes seemingly aimed at one of the many monitors in the ops center, but she knew better, that they were focusing nowhere at all, the words still sharp in her own ears of Danny and Sam's demise.

Hard as it was to believe, Valerie was forcing herself to accept that the unthinkable had happened. Still, it was a hard task. She'd hunted Danny on and off for so long, and she knew firsthand just how skilled he was. She was a great fighter, probably the best ghost hunter in Amity Park, and she had thrown everything she had at him, and he was still able to walk away from it, alive and well.

Standing slowly, she walked over to Tucker, setting a hand down on his shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"Not really holding up at all," he answered, his voice strangely hollow. "I honestly thought that Wulf would have been the last of it, the last one to fall. I never…I mean…Danny and Sam…are…were…" His shoulders heaved, and Valerie knew that he was fighting back tears. "It's not supposed to be like this. He's supposed to be all cocky and headstrong, she'll give him a dose of reality to get his head back in the game and his feet back on the ground, they'd get beat around a little, and still manage to come out on top, albeit a little bruised. They _can't_ be gone."

Valerie had no words to comfort him, and telling him that he had to accept the truth was the last thing he needed to hear, and a remark that he didn't deserve to hear. He had just lost his two best friends, people he'd known for longer than Valerie cared to find out. She didn't have a clue how far they went back, but it had to have been pretty far the way they'd stuck together for all these years. With no other recourse, she leaned down, taking the young man into her arms and holding him tightly, giving him an anchor to hold onto, lest he lose himself as well.

- - - - -

Malhecor took a deep breath of the warm air, his eyes scanning over the empty fields. He wasn't sure where he was, exactly. After all, in all the years he'd been imprisoned, the world had changed greatly, and the old landmarks were gone, wiped away by time and human development and replaced with newer and, at least in the minds of some, better things.

He grunted as one of his wounds throbbed. Still not fully recovered from the battle, he was patching himself up still, relishing, however, in the freedom he had found. He had rid himself of the threat of the Guardians, removed the pitiful creatures from existence, and found his way back into the mortal world, almost ready to find the one who would break the last bindings still shackling him.

Something nagged at the back of his mind, and it was that, unlike all the deaths eons ago, he had gained almost nothing from the Guardians. They had drifted off into the emptiness of death, their bodies having just faded away. He gained none of their powers, none of their strength, and was almost the same as he had been before the fight. It was abnormal, to say the least, if not a little disconcerting.

Running a hand over his abdomen, Malhecor heaved a deep sigh, his mind slowly piecing his sanity back together. Standing, he huffed out a breath, still hurting, and he walked over to a nearby patch of trees. Alive in their own right, Malhecor knew that the souls within these trees would still feed him, help him repair the damage that the two had caused. Sinking his hand into the tree, he grasped tightly at the flow of life energy coursing through it, letting his toxin flow into the bark, and the tree quickly withered, grew black as the leaves fell to the ground, and then exploded into a puff of smoke and dust.

Malhecor took another deep breath, his lungs no longer hurting from the numerous kicks that had contacted, and moved to the next tree over.

It would take more time to recover, and probably another grove or two of trees if he happened upon nothing else, but once his strength fully returned, he knew that he would have to turn his attention to the one whose soul was bound to his.

- - - - -

A young man, probably no older than twenty, looked over his shoulder at the crowd of agents behind him before turning his attention to the scanner on his gun.

Recently assigned to covert ops with the Guys in White, stationed in some no-name town in the middle of nowhere, he couldn't explain why the ghost scanner was showing a single marker. The ghosts had been stationed around the world, spread out, so why would there be one here, of all places, and alone?

"Agent Oh, I think we have a problem," he called out.

From his location across the room, Agent Omicron groaned. This kid had gotten into the habit of referring to him as 'Oh', as if the Greek letter that he'd been give as a code name, as well as a mark of his rank within the organization, was too much of a mouthful for his young mind.

Walking across the room, the agent called out, "Mr. Prentier, is it too much to ask that you refer to me by my proper name?"

"Omicron sounds so lame," he replied.

"Keep that attitude up," the agent warned as he leaned over the young man's shoulders, tilting the chair the young man was sitting in backwards, "and the lame thing here is going to be you."

Joshua gulped audibly, and he pointed to the screen. "Agent Omicron, sir," he said, his voice lilting slightly, "I think we have a problem."

Omicron showed no outward sign of reaction to the news, his deeply-tinted sunglasses hiding the fact that his eyes had grown wide. Reaching over Joshua's shoulder, he tapped a short sequence into the keyboard, the view switching from a flat radar display to a three-dimensional one, revealing not only that the creature was only two hundred yards southeast of their position, but was moving fast. Their only saving grace would likely be that their base of operations was located another hundred feet below where the ghost was, an elaborate facility built under the otherwise nondescript plains of this particular stretch of Nebraska.

Tapping his comm, he radioed into headquarters in D.C. "Agent Alpha, this is Agent Omicron. We are at Code Red, repeat Code Red, ordering immediate activation of Order Seven-Beta-Two-Oh-Niner."

- - - - -

Halfway across the United States, the Secretary of Defense saw the sudden change in his visitor's features, and knew from the way that all the color had drained from her face that they news she'd just received was not good.

"Agent Alpha?"

The woman looked up, her green eyes belying the fear she felt. "Secretary, the order was just called in. Move all military units to DEFCON 2 with direct orders that their ammo packs are to be switched out to Group Three-Sigma-Five-Oh-Four. Malhecor was just spotted in Nebraska, and he's moving like a bat out of hell towards Guardian Base."

The Secretary stopped for a second and then radioed the order before switching over to a second line. "Brenton?" he called into the mike.

"Yes, sir?" a voice answered.

"Open up an audio channel to the U.N."

A moment passed before the person replied, "Secretary, you're on live feed with the U.N."

Taking a deep breath, the Secretary of Defense steadied himself before beginning. "This is the Secretary of Defense of the United States of America. Order Seven-Beta-Two-Oh-Niner is a go, and all military units under the command of the United States Armed Forces are now under DEFCON 2," and a glimpse from the agent in the room made the Secretary continue on, "with the understanding that we may soon be at DEFCON 1." He took a deep breath. "All countries are advised to mobilize their forces with ammunition group Three-Sigma-Five-Oh-Four, and all radio frequencies are to be kept open and clear." Shutting down the communication link, the Secretary looked to the agent. "God be with us all."

- - - - -

Malhecor took a deep breath of air, laughing slightly at the stupidity of the Guardians. They had left a buffet for him, groups of ghosts whose descent into Oblivion gave him greater strength. With nine groups already decimated, he was feeling more and more like he had before his initial defeat.

Soaring over the mountains, he sensed a powerful ghost presence, and he faltered in the air slightly, recognizing it as the power he'd felt within the canine companion of the Guardians. There was another group of ghosts ahead, but they were protected by another of the ghosts that the Guardians had sent to protect them.

Smiling, Malhecor shunted his fear, careening into the mountainside and coming across the specters. A young girl, appearing no more than twenty or so, gasped before she moved back, her flaming hair highlighting the makeup that covered her eyes in the dim light. Malhecor moved to take her tender throat into his hands, but she vanished into thin air, and he could sense the power within her no more.

Grinning maliciously, he turned to the ghosts arrayed around him, all cowering in fear. He moved to bite the throat out of one of the closest spooks, but once he'd sunk his claws into the ghosts' throat, he instead flooded his power into his target, watching with sick glee as the specter's eyes rolled over to black. One by one, each of those the Guardians had tried, in vain, to hide from him slowly succumbed to his power, mindless soldiers in a war that had now turned irrevocably towards the darker path fate had in store.

- - - - -

Vlad sat up, the curtains of the room billowing in the wind. Standing up from the couch where he'd fallen asleep, he closed the living room windows, watching as the sun began its descent beyond the horizon. Rubbing absently at his wrists, his fingers dancing over the shimmering binders, he fought back tears. As much as he had desired to have Danny as his own, and as much effort as he had put into attaining Maddie and destroying Jack, now that he'd actually experienced a loss of this magnitude, reality had finally grabbed him by the throat and shaken him back to his senses.

He hung his head in shame. In all the years since he'd become Vlad Plasmius, it had never once crossed his mind the risks he'd end up taking, nor did was he ever prepared for the violence and animosity that had warped his mind so completely. He had become the very thing he had always hated, a man who got whatever he wanted, no matter the cost.

Vlad hung his head. He had vowed, as a child, to never become who he was right now, but over time, Plasmius had tainted his thoughts and actions. He bit back tears at the memories of his family, his mother's pained eyes looking at him, clouded with agony, as she lay in the hospital bed when he was only eleven, her life ebbing away slowly because of the abuse his father had inflicted. Irina had reported, on numerous occasions, that Vlad's father, Sergei, had beaten her, but with the system as skewed as it had been back in the middle of the century, there was little that the law was willing to do, and she had paid the price for trying to run from her husband.

Sergei Mihailov was a man who knew what he wanted and got it, and when someone stood in his way, there was naught that could be done to quell his anger, a trait that Irina did not discover until just after their only son was born. After her passing, Vlad discovered the violence that lay at the core of his father's being, and was only able to survive by running from home, battered, bruised, and seeking the security of anyone but his father. Taken in by a family miles from his home, they called in the authorities, who, upon seeing the abuse that Vlad had suffered, arrested his father, who later died in prison after starting a vicious brawl in the lunch area. Never formally adopted, Vlad did, however, change his last name as his first motion to get away from the disease that was his paternal namesake.

Vlad bit his lip again, fighting back the tears and the pain. He had promised his mother that he would do whatever it took to become a better man than his father, and he swore to her, as she lay dying, that he would never turn into what his father was. Now, more than thirty years after her death, and about twenty-five since Sergei's death, he had not only forgotten, but has also broken, that solemn oath.

"Are you alright, Vlad?"

Maddie's voice cut into his thoughts, and he bit down harder on his lip, drawing blood.

Maddie came up beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder, gasping slightly at the sight of blood running down his chin. Grabbing a tissue from the coffee table, she offered it to him, and he took it, wiping the crimson fluid from his face.

"I'm…alright, Maddie. I just…" He turned to her, the adulation of all those years, the yearning desire to have her as his own, gone from his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"All these years, I've been bitter towards you and Jack, blamed the accident on him, cursed him for taking you from me, and I've only now just realized what I've become. In reality, Maddie, the family you know as mine was only the family that took care of me. My real parents…my father beat my mother to death because she didn't want to obey his every whim…she didn't want to be his slave. I promised her on her deathbed that I would not become Sergei, but over the years…" He drifted off, staring at the binders on his wrists again. "Your son gave me something I have needed for so long. In life, he subdued that which changed me, and with…his…de…his passing…I…Oh, God, Maddie, what happened to me?" he asked, crumpling to the floor. "I wanted him as my son, my protégé, my heir, the one to become just like me, something so vicious and terrifying, and I became my father in trying to attain it. The greatest regret is that I can't thank him for what he's done, what he was able to give me."

"Don't think like that. They protected you," she said, fingers touching the silver binders on his wrists. "Even beyond the grave, he…he's protecting you. It's all that he wanted. He could never forgive you for what you've done, but he believed that there was still a way to save you. The last thing he would ever want is for you to die, and that's why he was so insistent on going after Malhecor, damn the consequences of his actions."

"Your son always believed in the good of humanity," Vlad said quietly.

"And for that, you have to thank Jack, not me." Maddie was fighting back tears as well, her thoughts having more than once turned to the fact that there were no bodies to bury, and if they should somehow survive, the graves of her son and his best friend would be hollow and empty reminders of their perseverance and commitment to the world. "I've always been the serious one around here, the one who weighs action against risk, but Jack has been the calm waters for all of us, the one who's able to show us all how to just step back and bask in the moment. He taught Danny really early on that people were just mean because they didn't believe in themselves enough to be nice. He told him that everyone is nice, or at least has the capability to be so, but they don't always know how to show it without seeming…"

"Weak in the eyes of their peers," Jack finished. Both of them turned to him, a plate of fudge in his hands. "Society seems to love teaching that crying is weakness and that being better than the next guy is how you get somewhere in life. I never wanted my children to be like that. They may say that the good guys always finish last, but at least they have lived their lives and enjoyed every moment of it." He looked at the plate. "I know it's not much, but I think we all need a pick-me-up before it all goes to hell."

The three adults took seats on the couch, each taking a small hunk of the chocolaty treats, each silently mourning for the lost souls of two that had been taken so early on in their lives.

- - - - -

Sirens began blaring, and the remaining citizens of Amity Park were up in arms immediately, their training having honed them to a state of readiness that made the military units with them a little embarrassed. Each person quickly arrived at their designated locations, scanners already on, guns charging, extra packs of ammo slung over their shoulders.

"This is Maddie Fenton. All gunners, turn up the power on your guns to maximum. Your power cells might burn out a little faster, but we're going to need as much firepower as we can manage."

"Copy that, Epsilon Leader," Jack called out, his eyes watching the scanner on his bazooka.

Soon, a wave of ghosts appeared on their scanners, but it wasn't until they turn their eyes skyward that the gravity of the situation hit them full force.

The sky soon became blotted out as the surge of ghosts flew over Amity Park, and all the long-range gunners opened fire, the ghosts dropping like huge flies, their bodies exploding on descent. Roaring in anger, the mob of specters dove for the townspeople, the gunners dropping them just as quickly.

Maddie, as well as the rest of Epsilon Group, stood ready, and a flash of light alerted them to the presence of some new ghosts. Turning, Maddie found a couple of the ghosts that Danny and Sam had been working with. Looking quite harried, they quickly located her and reported to her about the attacks that Malhecor had made on a number of the U.S. refugee groups.

Turning their eyes to the sky, green light searing against the dark mass above them, the world soon became a panicked frenzy, screams raising louder than the sirens sounding in the distance.

- - - - -

The first wave seemed to be going well, the gunners able to take down each of the ghosts that attacked, but the storm was coming, fast and brutal, and every member of the defense force knew this. Malhecor had sent in his shock troops to weaken and tire the forces of Amity park, and it didn't take long for them to realize that he was doing little but testing their might before coming in for the attack himself.

As if on cue, another wave of ghosts attacked, this time coming at ground level, and from all around them. These fell as well, but everyone in town could tell by their blackened eyes that Malhecor was already winning. Fueled by the death of each of those they fought, they soon realized that their defense was futile, but continued on for nothing more than the thought of living one more day.

They could not let their town fall.

- - - - -

Malhecor smiled wickedly. He had seen the power of the residents of this small town, and somewhere in its depths, he could sense the faint, weak glimmer of the companion soul to his power, the sacrifice that would give him the power to draw this world into Oblivion.

Flying in low and invisible, Malhecor rose up in the center of town, knocking aside the massive amounts of gunfire that had been directed at him. Apparently, in all the years he'd been sealed away, ghost-hunting technology had become far more than just psychically powerful mediums and anti-ghost charms. Batting aside a second round of fire, he moved in for the attack, little more than a blue to those who opposed him. Feeling his claws cut into warm human flesh, he smiled as their deaths fed him, and he dove through the crowds, no longer caring to use his toxin or worry about how deadly his strikes were. He had found the one who would give him his true power, and there was no one that could stop him.

- - - - -

Vlad sat on the stoop of the Fenton household, a small handheld surgical saw in his hand, the remainder of one of his binders lying at his feet. Quickly working on the other one, he was able to remove all but the part that was buried into his wrists. Wiping the blood from his wrist where he'd slipped and cut himself, he waited. If there was no choice but to die in this battle, he would not bow down and die, mewling like a lost kitten.

A dark figure appeared at the end of the block, and Vlad smiled ominously. Despite the limitations that the binders could still effect over his powers, he was more than willing to try and fight for what he believed would be the last time. Slipping an envelope into the mailbox as he stood, Vlad stepped out into the street, reaching down for the ghost within him, and he embraced him totally, the tortured soul of Vlad Plasmius making his final stand against the greatest evil the world would ever know.

Malhecor chuckled, "So you've chose to lie down your life for me? How quaint. You're just as pathetic as the Guardians, and you'll die just as swiftly. I hope you…" He stopped, a powerful ecto-blast knocking him back a few steps.

"I intend to fight, Malhecor. I know that you need me to die, and the longer that I keep you from attaining that, the more time the rest of the citizens have to find a way to destroy you."

"That's just the problem," Malhecor retorted. "I cannot _be_ destroyed. I am beyond everyone and everything, now that those pathetic Guardians are out of the way."

"You just keep thinking that," Vlad snapped back, a small voice in the back of his head beckoning him to find his true power within. Relaxing into the grip of death that was Plasmius, Vlad felt a new strength surge through him, and he smirked. Something of this power reminded him of Danny, and he stood straight, raising his hands in a fighting pose, his eyes turning from their usual blood red to a radiant gold.

Malhecor stepped back, eyes widening. Though this ghost was not a Guardian, he carried some of the powers of such, including Malhecor's own long-lost battle mentality. Raising his fists, he moved in for the attack.

Vlad sidestepped the punch that had been aimed at his head, delivering a swift kick to Malhecor's midsection, blasting him aside with a golden ecto-beam. Rising a little off of the ground, he flew towards his opponent, punching him in the chest and sending him reeling into the trees across the street. Firing another ecto-blast, he shifted from his current location into the ground beneath the trees, launching skyward and catching Malhecor in the chin, his fist connecting with a flash of golden energy.

Malhecor struggled to his feet once he'd landed on the street, anger flashing through his eyes at the fact that this petty ghost had some of his old powers, a joke that the Creatrix was playing on him once more for his indignant attitude towards Her. Running towards his enemy, his fist caught air as the ghost vanished, shifting again, and Malhecor was kicked to the ground, the back of his head throbbing with the force of the kick that had knocked him prone. Pushing up, he was forced back down to the pavement as Vlad poured a constant stream of ectoplasm over him, the flowing energy searing the flesh on his back faster than his powers could heal it.

Roaring in agony, Malhecor twisted clear of the beam, standing up and thrusting his hand into Vlad's chest, the half-ghost's heart having ceased its beating once he'd slipped into ghost form.

Vlad looked up at the creature that towered over him, feeling the hand within his chest slowly crushing his heart, and he whimpered a mental prayer of apology, both to the dead Guardians and to Danny's mother, for the path that he had followed.

Malhecor grinned vilely, his pointed teeth speckled with blood. "Goodbye."

Vlad felt his heart explode within his chest, and he dropped to the ground, returning to human form, his eyes slowly losing their focus as he drifted beyond the world of the living.

- - - - -

There was little more than chaos in the minutes following Vlad's death, and Maddie struggled to get the soldiers under control, the stump of her left arm screaming in pain, the tourniquet she'd applied the only thing keeping her from losing more blood then she already had. Stumbling over the prone forms of the fallen, she found Jack and Jazz huddled under a tree, Jack nursing a cut that ran the length of his arm, Jazz cleaning it despite the blurred vision she was experiencing, her right eye having been pierced and bleeding.

Both members of her family looked at her in shock, and they quickly joined her, the three moving with many of the other survivors towards the area in the center of the park that had quickly become the triage and medical center of the town.

- - - - -

By the time they finished the body count that night, there had been eighteen bodies moved from where they'd fallen, including Vlad, and more than forty others wounded. Maddie had lost her left arm about three inches beneath the shoulder, but she had managed to survive, the stump quickly stitched over to stop the bleeding and bandaged. Jazz had lost her right eye, the empty socket now covered with gauze and an eye patch, Jack's cut having been the least worrisome hit the family had taken.

Other wounded remained in the medical area, and there were more than a few people who were mourning the loss of family members and friends. Kwan had been attacked from behind, jagged claws ripping apart his spine in his lower back, his legs now useless to him as he wheeled himself next to his parents, both having caught no worse than lacerations. Dash was consoling his father, the elder having gotten his leg broken in four places, the younger nursing a couple fractured ribs and a concussion. Numerous others were in the area – one person had lost his leg below the knee, another had a broken jaw and was also missing a portion of his cheek, a special ops soldier who'd suffered a fractured left arm and a shattered pelvis.

Hanging her head, Maddie cast a sorrowful look at what remained of her arm, and she stood, walking to the crest of a hill in the park, her eyes tearing up as she looked to the horizon, the stars like distant watchers in the sky, and she cursed the being that had taken her arm, her daughters eye, and her son's life.


	31. Chapter XXXI

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom _and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXXI**

Blinking slightly, she found herself immersed in a field of blackness, her eyes useless in the eternal shadows that wrapped around her. She blinked again, thinking that, perhaps, she'd just been blinded, but upon raising her hand, found that she could see quite clearly in front of her. Sitting up, she reached beneath her and found emptiness, unsure now of where she was. Oblivion was a likely answer, but she was under the impression that she should not have been self-aware in Oblivion.

Memories flooded her mind, and her hands flew to her stomach, seeking the wound that had ended her life, but found no remnant of the injury. Shaking her head, she thought of the futility of seeking a wound. Her body had failed her, vanished…she was but a wandering spirit now.

A muffled grunt came from her left, and she turned, finding a discrepancy in the shadows, a spot of darkness set off by light. Moving towards it, though unsure of what she was moving towards, she leaned over the huddled form, her eyes finding Danny's searching blues. He sat up quickly, taking Sam into his arms tightly, his lips claiming hers, rational thought slipping out the window as he grasped wildly for the one thing he knew was real. Though she returned his affections, she slowly pushed him away, her eyes finding his again, a silent question passed between them.

"I don't know, Sam. I really don't. I woke up here a few moments ago, but I have no idea…" His eyes widened, his body finally registering that there was a heartbeat beneath his ribs. Touching the area where he'd been stabbed, he looked up to Sam in question. "Are we dead?"

"I think so. Malhecor caught you first, then me." She hung her head. " I can't believe that we failed them all. They needed us, and we rushed into this and…"

_You have failed no one, nor have you passed beyond the realm of hope,_ a voice called from the emptiness around them.

Danny and Sam both shot to their feet, arms raised in defensive positions. "Who are you?" Danny called, his voice wavering slightly.

_I am everything and nothing, life and death, joy and sorrow, passion and solitude. I go by name names and many titles, but answer to all._

"The Creatrix?" Sam muttered, a familiar warmth seeping into her as she spoke.

_I am as you say, though it is but one of many titles._

"Where are we?" Danny asked. "Are we dead?"

_You are not, though in ways not understood by mortals, you are. You have suffered much because of your cursed brethren, but you have not been felled for good. It was told to you by your inner souls, by the first incarnations of the Guardians, that you cannot die, and that truth still stands. Malhecor does not have the power to destroy My children. He lost that when he turned from Me eons ago._

"Then where are we?"

_You are within yourselves, within the essence of your own spirits. You brought yourselves here to heal and to regroup for the final confrontation. Malhecor has already moved upon the world, and he has claimed the life of the tainted hybrid, though the half-soul found his power to fight before he died. He has weakened Malhecor again, turned his own power against him, and he will be hard-pressed to find someone strong enough to repair the damage completely._

"How are we supposed to defeat him? With every life he takes, he gets stronger. With only four dead because of him, he was still able to take us down."

_He has been able to defeat you because you insist on seeking the mortal action that will silence him. You seek the martial answer to a dilemma of the ethereal. Bound by human flesh and mortal thought, you fail to see the true power you carry within yourselves, much as you have failed to understand your strength the first time you confronted him._

A thought passed through Sam's mind, but the Creatrix answered her before she could put voice to her concern.

_I have told you that I go by many names. I am Creatrix, female, yet I am not. __When I created the world, the divine was seen in the power of woman to bring life to the lands. Through the shedding of blood and tears, new life came from old, and so my first name was Woman. Throughout the millennia, I have become known by many names: God, Allah, Mother Goddess, Horned God, Pan, Isis, Osiris, Marduk, Sin, Thor, Odin, Freya and many more, but I answer to all. My blessings flow to those who truly believe, and I have turned from those who use the Holy Word to line their own purses. I can grant the power to heal and refuse the power of damnation. I grant the power to see into the future, and deny the strength to summon the power of God upon mortal lands. To the Christians, I am God and Jesus Christ, and through them I have healed the afflicted. Yet they have tried me, and I have turned from many of them. The first of the Church could heal in My name, but as the greed of man overshadowed the power of the Word and the masses were hunted, blood spilled for the good of My religion, I took my blessings from them. To the Muslims, I am Allah, though I look upon those of holy war with disdain, for they have twisted the word of faith to something it was never meant to be. To the neo-pagans who have turned back to the old ways, I am their Mother Goddess and their Horned God, and I watch over them as they live, though I deny power to those that misunderstand their sacred strength and twist their understanding of the faith to harm others, as I do with the groups that would seek to do evil for the sake of causing pain. I have watched through the generations as My children have fallen into blind paths and mindless faiths, and I mourn for the way they have been waylaid, but I watch over them all and take them into My fold as their time comes to an end._

"So Danny was right in saying that all paths are right?" Sam asked, her voice quavering.

_In many more ways than just that, child. He has seen that there is truth in many ways, and that all __return to me in time. Though I will not give power to those who find religion as a means of harm and personal profit, I accept all as equals in the end, and give them new life in a station befitting that which they have earned so that they may learn from their past failures, though they do not always consciously remember the errors of their ways. He is also right in saying that I will not interfere with free will. It was the gift that I gave to humanity at its dawning, and so it will continue until the end of all days, though the end of one world will only give rise to more, as there is no beginning and no end to the world, though the physical world may decay. And when the new world rises in place of the old, again will I give the gift of free will, for it is that gift which makes life worth living as well as a lesson throughout the ages._

"What do we have to do, then?" Danny asked. "What can we do to get rid of Malhecor once and for all?"

_You must seek the power beyond the mortal coil, see what you truly are. You are more than flesh, bone and spirit, Daniel, and the same stands for you, Samantha. You have a great gift that you refuse to understand, if only because you want to limit yourself to human coherence. You are more than human, and you have powers that none can understand but you, and yet you still view yourself as part of the mortal fold. You must escape the limitations of the flesh and become what you were truly meant to be when I first created you, and what I have made of you in your second birth. Look within, and you will find the answers that have eluded you for so long._

Sam and Danny both faltered, their legs falling out from under them, and they fell into black emptiness once again, sharp pains cutting across their backs as they landed on hard ground.

Opening her eyes, Sam sat up, finding herself in the middle of a field, and she shook her head, pulling the hay out of her locks. Danny sat up beside her, and she ran a hand through his hair as he, too, had straw caught in it. Standing, she looked around her, trying to figure out where they were.

"Back on Earth, as far as I can tell," Danny interjected, reading her mind. "But where exactly, I have no idea." He stood, taking her hand in his, and the pair launched skyward, rocketing upwards. Shifting as they flew, they soon floated near the edge of the atmosphere, their eyes scanning over the rolling lands beneath them. Their eyes traveled over the lands and waters, and Danny pointed out Lake Superior, wondering if they should head home.

"I'll find Malhecor and draw him back to Amity Park. You go home and see what's going on there," Sam ordered. "I have to find the Warriors."

"I doubt it'll be a sight to come home to."

Sam sighed, fighting back the urge to scream and cry at Danny for that comment, her mind focusing on her grandmother and the fact that they'd been out of it for who knew how long. "Let's not try to think about that, Danny. We've got more important things to figure out."

- - - - -

Malhecor blinked, a faint feeling creeping across his spine. Though he had torn across continents, leaving destruction and death in his wake, his body remained mangled, despite the humans and ghosts that had been victims of his wrath. Whatever the half-ghost he'd killed had been able to harness, it seemed to be beyond healing, and he grew more and more aggravated. Now, this feeling coursing through him was setting him further on edge, and he couldn't place why he felt so out of place all of a sudden.

A flash of light erupted close to him, and he turned just as a blast of ectoplasm caught him full in the face, and he screamed in pain. Opening his stinging eyes, he saw an elderly ghost, white hair blowing across dark glasses, his black coat billowing behind him. The ghost cackled, a grating sound against Malhecor's stinging ears, and he launched towards the specter, a little surprised as he vanished, replaced with yet another blast of ectoplasm, fired this time from the girl with the flaming hair he'd encountered earlier.

Lunging towards her, she moved out of the way, cracking him across is already-scarred back with her guitar, and he went flying, his front meeting with the swinging tail of a large blue dragon. Pain shot through his body, and he raised his hands to fend off any more attacks, but strangely enough, none came. Opening his eyes and looking around, he found no one in the area save for him, the bodies of numerous human victims littering the square below.

A voice shot through his mind, and he reeled in anger. _Come get us, you wasted failure of a life._

He recognized the voice – the female Guardian he had killed the previous day. How she was reaching into his mind was beyond him, and what bothered him more was that she sounded confident, sure of herself despite the fact that she'd been destroyed. Shaking his head, he figured it was her residual energy lingering around him.

_Too afraid to find that you are going to die, Malhecor?_

That was the male Guardian's voice now. Malhecor spun around, seeking the source of the voices, sure that they had been destroyed, despite the fact that he was hearing them so clearly. He'd seen their bodies disappear, felt his poison course through their bodies after his blades had cut into them, and yet, they sounded strong and ready to fight, even from beyond the veil of Oblivion.

_Time to take this back to where it all began, brother,_ both voices said in unison.

Bellowing in rage, Malhecor turned to the skies and launched through the air, heading back for the first town to fall under his ravaging claws.

- - - - -

Maddie sat on the couch in the living room, gingerly fingering the note that Vlad had left in the mailbox during the assault. With only one hand, she was having a hard time keeping her grip on it as she turned it over. The front of the envelope said _To Danny_, the back reading_ For Danny Fenton only_. Maddie was unsure as to why Vlad had left such a package, knowing full well that the young man it was addressed to was dead.

A knock on the front door shook her out of her thoughts, and when she opened the door, the sight before her was one she wasn't expecting and initially took for a cheap illusion brought on by the pain medication she had been put on. There was no way that Danny was…

A pair of arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly, black vest tails blowing in the wind from the doorway, his hair tickling the edge of her ear. She could feel the tears falling down his face as he rested his head in the crook of her neck, a smile spreading over his face. "It's okay, Mom, I'm fine. Malhecor just put us out of commission for a while, but we're okay." Pulling away, his eyes widened at the lack of a left arm on his mother's body. "What happened?"

"Malhecor," she answered. "I was lucky enough to get away with just this. Eighteen people died on the field, and another three passed away after he left Amity Park."

"Jazz and Dad?" Danny asked fearfully.

"No, they're still alive. They both got attacked, and Jazz took a pretty bad hit, but they're okay."

"Danny?" a voice asked, and Jazz came downstairs, stumbling on the stairs, her depth perception still thrown off, the eye patch she wore hiding the true extent of the wound from her brother. "What happened? The GIW said that…"

"We were, but we're back now. Malhecor…he did some serious damage, but he couldn't kill us. He doesn't have the power. Sam is rallying the Warriors for the final battle and we're drawing him back here."

"After what happened, don't you think that you're…"

"Rushing things?" Danny finished. "Not anymore. Sam and I finally figured out what we have to do to destroy him. We just need everyone to trust us because what we're gonna be doing is a little out of the ordinary. We have a power that we need to harness, but Sam and I think we've got it figured out."

"What do you mean you _think_ you have it figured out?"

Danny sighed. "We're not totally sure how what we're doing is going to work, but we're trusting our instincts rather than trying to analyze it."

Sam shifted into the room, her arm bleeding slightly. "Okay, I was not expecting to get caught, but I'm good," she said, healing over the wound. "Malhecor's on his way here, and the GIW ordered a full assault for the whole flight. He's taking one hell of a beating, but he'll be here in a few hours."

"The Warriors?" Danny asked.

On cue, the nine appeared in the room, each bowing their heads in respect.

"Sam told you what you need to do?" he asked, and they all nodded in acknowledgement. "Good. Everyone, get to your positions. I know that we have a few hours, but let's be ready, okay? And make sure you keep yourself clear after the first few hits land. We don't need to lose anyone else to this bastard."

Silently, the eleven non-humans in the room vanished, and Jazz turned to her mother, shrugging her shoulders. "Creatrix be with us all," she said.

Maddie just nodded.

- - - - -

Danny and Sam sat quietly, cross-legged on the ground near City Hall, their eyes closed. Dropping into deep meditation, they turned their attention towards the entity that was now headed with all haste in their direction, the same one who, not more than a day ago, had thought he wiped them from existence.

Flying over the States, there was nothing that could long remain in Malhecor's way. Barrages of missiles and ecto-gunfire filled the skies, and most of the shots found their mark, desiccating his body further than it had already been, venomous blood dripping from the numerous wounds that now crossed his body. Dodging and weaving through the minefield that had taken over the sky, his invisibility no protection against what he could only assume were ectoplasmic scanners, Malhecor unleashed a furious cry, a wild peal of demented thunder, from the storm that surged unrelentingly towards Amity Park.

_Are you sure about this, Danny?_ Sam's voice cut through his thoughts.

_If I wasn't, would I still be insisting that I act on instinct? I don't know if this is going to work, but we've already found out the hard way that fighting physically is going to do nothing to him. He's stronger than us in the insanity that takes him. He wants to rule Oblivion, but he has to be alive and in one piece to do so, and he'll defend that goal, no matter what._

_Then you're sure that…_

_As sure as I'll ever be._ His eyes still closed, his sight focused many miles away, Danny reached out and laid a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder.

- - - - -

Maddie struggled to eject the power cell from one of the bazookas, and Jack leaned over, pulling the cell completely out of the weapon. He kissed Maddie lightly on the forehead, his eyes unable to hide the pain, the result of his wife being so ruthlessly attacked visibly bothering him.

Maddie smiled as she inserted a fully-powered cell and shouldered the bazooka with her remaining hand. "I've always been good with the guns, Jack, and this isn't going to slow me down. I won't let it, and you shouldn't either. Kissing him full on the lips, the mirth in her voice lifted Jack's spirit, and he turned to his daughter.

The black patch that covered her eye had bothered him since he first saw it, knowing that there was nothing behind the dark leather. He'd slowly come to terms with the assault on his family, though he still mentally chastised himself for not being there for them when he was most needed, believing that it should have been him to suffer the wounds they bore, rather than the simple cut along his arm. A flash of something caught his eye as Jazz turned to hand another one of the survivors a piece of Fenton firepower, and he cantered over to his daughter. "Jazzie-pants?"

Smiling despite her fear of the coming attack, she turned to her father, and Jack couldn't do anything but fight the tears that were rising in his eyes. Through everything that they had suffered in the last twenty-four hours, Jazz's faith had not wavered far, and she was the one who believed for the longest that Danny was not, as the GIW had informed them, gone. Her eye patch, a callous scrap of black leather, now sported a crude design in what he could only figure was metallic silver marker, a design that recognized as the emblem that Danny had been sporting on his vest and also on the hazmat suit he'd worn before his initial disappearance into the Ghost Zone for some sort of ceremony. He had been informed later, by Jazz, of its significance.

The logo represented Danny's alternate identity, and also stood for his beliefs. Though thrust into the responsibility that came with his half-ghost identity and the inherent job of protecting the world from ghosts, he had accepted his place and had, through some incident or another, managed to get the logo attached to his suit, wearing it proudly as a sign of his station in life and the role that he had willfully accepted.

Despite his young age, Jack could no longer refuse to accept the fact that there was a degree of seriousness and a wisdom beyond a meager sixteen years now residing in his son, brought on not only by the Guardian thing they had been talking about, but also because of the responsibility that he had shouldered at fourteen and carried without complaint since. Wiping a single tear from his face, Jack headed upstairs, leaving the basement for quieter areas, closing the door as he entered his son's room. Resting himself on his son's bed, Jack saw the sheets on both Danny's bed and Sam's cot rumpled and bunched, saw their rushed exit from the previous morning evident, and his mind quickly banished the thought of what that exit had brought about. Turning his head away, his eyes danced over the numerous items that littered nearly every part of the room. Countless models of the shuttle and the International Space Station decorated the tops of his dresser, his bedside tables, and a few were even suspended from the ceiling. Posters of galaxies, nebulas, and shuttle crews ornamented the walls, and his computer screensaver had been updated recently, a swirling mass of stars caught in perpetual motion on the screen. Looking up again, Jack smiled at the glow-in-the-dark stars glued to Danny's ceiling, fondly remembering the time that he and Danny had spent attaching the contents of fifteen packages of plastic stars to the ceiling of the room, forming some of the best-known constellations that dotted the night skies over Minnesota. Tilting his head further back, his eyes locked on the first constellation that he and Danny had set up, the one placed strategically over the head of the bed – Orion. The Hunter's belt was the first band of stars that Danny had ever been able to identify, and Jack believed that, to some degree, it had been Orion that led Danny to his obsession with getting into the space program.

He looked down suddenly, aware of a presence in the room with him, and he stood slowly, reaching for the small ecto-pistol on his belt.

"Dad, what's bothering you?" a voice asked, and Jack turned to the questioning eyes of his son.

"Shouldn't you be out there waiting for…" he asked, drifting off as he could not bring himself to speak that monster's name.

Danny shook his head. "Ghost duplicate. I'm still by City Hall. Something's bothering you, though, and I wanted to find out what's wrong."

"It's nothing, really."

Danny looked up. "I remember putting these up with you." Hovering towards the ceiling, his fingers touched the stars, tracing the constellations as he moved along the faux night sky that adorned his room. "The Hunter caught your interest. Why?"

"He's the reason you fell in love with outer space in the first place, isn't he?"

Danny nodded. "I was only three, but I could already find the Belt. I looked for it every night, and I made sure that I found it before I went to sleep." He closed his eyes momentarily, letting out a relaxed sigh. "What's really on your mind, Dad? I'm trying not to have to dig into your thoughts."

"You're not going to make it into NASA, and it will be my fault."

"Why do you say that?"

"I _made_ the Portal. I'm responsible for the thing that made you half-ghost, and because of all you've had to do, your grades suffered, and I don't know if you'll be able to pull up by senior year. Even this year was a bad one, up until I shut the Portal down."

Danny smiled, taking his father's hulking form into his arms as best he could. "You've taken nothing from me that I haven't taken away on my own. I thought I told you – I would have been like this anyway, Portal or not, and besides," Danny said, a mirthful smirk gracing his features, "I don't need to get into NASA anymore. Not to follow my dream, anyway."

"But, Danny…"

"No. I'm part ghost. When I gave into the Phantom part of me, when I give into it even now, human and ghost intertwined as they are, I don't have to breathe. I don't have a pulse. I can go wherever I want, and if I so will it, that includes the vacuum of space on nothing more than the power of my thought and will alone. I don't _need_ NASA, Dad. Your invention gave me something far greater, and with it came a purpose to my life that I don't think I would have found otherwise. Your invention _made_ me Danny Phantom, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Jack smiled lightly as his son landed on the floor, and he reached out to ruffle his hair. "You be safe out there, you understand?"

Danny smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll be home before curfew." Turning away, Danny vanished into thin air, and Jack looked once more at the stars above his head before leaving the room.

- - - - -

Jeremy was on his feet the instant he heard his wife's scream, and was astonished to find a ghost in the entryway to the villa they were staying at until everything settled down back in Amity Park. The ghost looked a little surprised, but he shied away slightly, clutching to a sheet of paper. Jeremy stepped over the prone form of his wife, who had been scared unconscious, and reached an open hand to the ghost. A black and formless specter, the ghost gingerly handed the paper over, and Jeremy read the note, the handwriting unfamiliar to him.

_This is Shadow, a friend of Danny and Sam. He's being sent to find you and your wife so that you have some protection, even if you think that you may not need it. He can't talk, but if there is anything that you need or have to ask him, go ahead. He'll find a way to answer._

Jeremy looked up at the ghost for a moment, looked at the note again, and then turned his eyes back to the spook. "Shadow?"

The specter grinned, nodded, but his smile soon faltered as he pointed at Pamela.

"Don't worry about her. She's just easy to scare." Leaning over, he picked up his wife and carried her into the drawing room, gently laying her on the chaise lounge. Turning, he wasn't surprised to see that the ghost had trailed him. "You're okay staying here," Jeremy said, his voice wavering a little, as he was not used to dealing with ghosts, "but once she starts waking up, stay out of the room until I say it's okay to come back in, okay?"

Shadow nodded.

- - - - -

Gathered along the street leading up to City Hall, the residents of Amity Park that had stayed behind and were well enough after the initial assault were ducked into doorways, guns in hand, awaiting orders from Danny. Anyone who wasn't on the field was holed up in one house or another, still equipped with their communication headsets.

"You know, part of me thinks the GIW lied about Danny and Sam," Kwan said, breaking the silence that had pervaded their communications for over an hour.

"Why do you say that?" Jin asked, turning to his son. Having decided to stay behind at the Fenton residence with Kwan, he looked over at his son as Kwan wheeled himself to the front window. "Are you okay, Kwan?"

"Why would they tell us that Danny and Sam had fallen if they were okay?"

"We _were_ killed, Kwan," Sam answered back, rising out of her meditation for a moment. "He just wasn't strong enough to destroy us. We're something more than human, after all, and that's what saved us."

Darryl, Valerie and Tucker were hiding out on one of the upper floors of an apartment building near City Hall, Valerie noticing that Tucker was, again, fighting back against his pain, having heard from his friends directly that they had, indeed, been killed. "You okay, Tuck?" Valerie asked.

"Better than you," Tucker answered, still spacing out, his eyes locked on his gun's scanner.

Valerie hung her head, knowing that her father was somewhat disappointed with her. When the news had broken out that Malhecor had launched the attack, she'd snuck out of the ops center and plunged head-first into the fray, returning alive, but with a fractured collarbone, a couple of severed nerves in her right hand, and a severely bruised ego. She turned to face her father, finding him turned away, watching as events unfolded through the window of the room they were in. "Daddy?"

"I'm not mad, Valerie. You said that you would live with the choices you make, and so far, you have. The only thing I am right now is hurt."

"Hurt?" she asked.

"Yes, Valerie, hurt. You didn't tell me that you were leaving, even though we'd discussed the matter beforehand. One minute, we're keeping an eye on the ghost scanners and making sure that our units are safe, and the next, I turned around to find you gone. I was worried sick, and when you came back as badly wounded as you were…if you hadn't come back…" He heaved a sigh, trying to keep his temper from getting out of hand. "I just wish you would have said something. I just don't want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't come back…especially since I didn't get to say goodbye."

Anything that might have been said in response was cut off as Danny's voice cut over the communication lines. "He's here."

- - - - -

Malhecor had been expecting some sort of retaliation upon re-entering town, but the fact that he wasn't immediately attacked took him by surprise. Heading in the direction he felt the Guardians in, there was little shock value as the townspeople opened fire. Batting aside the ecto-blasts, struggling to keep from screaming in pain, he rushed towards the pair seated in the center of the square, eyes closed. Landing just a few feet from them, he moved to rush at them, but was halted by their power.

The pair opened their eyes, standing slowly. Walking towards Malhecor, they stopped only a few steps away, bowing politely before the former Guardian.

"Why have you summoned me here?" Malhecor growled. "And how is it that you are not dead?"

Danny smiled, feeling the tense silence that cut over the communication lines. "We wanted to talk, brother, for it seems that we have made a great error in trying to stop you."

"What do you mean?"

Sam smirked, a devious curl of her lips that made even Malhecor quiver at the sight. "We are light to your shadow, good to your evil. We have seen this, and we have seen that we cannot win, no matter how hard we try."

Danny picked up from there. "No matter how hard we struggle against you, we will not win. Light creates shadows, and the greater the light, the deeper the darkness. However, shadows do not create light, but more of itself." The Guardian's eyes began to bleed over, losing their luminescence as the shadowy emptiness took hold, eyes rolling to black. "Only in unleashing Oblivion will there be peace among us."

Malhecor smiled, adding his own power to the Guardian's, and he could feel the world around him giving way to the power of Oblivion's deathly pull. One by one, the lights in the city flickered out, and the world began to lose focus. The ground beneath their feet was rent asunder, and a sickening onyx ooze began to creep over the land. As it touched each of the people surrounding them, Malhecor smirked at the sight of their bodies falling over, lifeless and empty shells of the pitiful humans they had once been.

Closing their eyes, the three could feel the life force of the world ebbing, fighting back, and eventually giving sway to their greater power, falling as everything else in the world had fallen. People dropped like flies, and the world began to grow dark around them. The power arced outward, grasping onto stars and planets, sucking life from the universe that danced around them, and Malhecor felt a sickeningly powerful feeling course over him as the grand design of the Creatrix bowed to their strength, tearing apart everything that She had built.

The sky began to lose its stars, and the view above their heads was soon as black as their eyes. The bodies surrounding them began to dissolve into Oblivion, becoming the nothingness with the Void that Malhecor would now lord over, his siblings rightfully at his side. Turning around, he watched as the creations of humanity toppled and dissolved, becoming nothing but a memory that would now be lost forever.

A strange feeling took hold in his chest, and he turned to find the Guardians beginning to dissolve, as had everything else. Fear grabbed at him, and he moved forward to grasp his brother's arm, instead passing straight through it, spreading the atoms of the limb into Oblivion faster than they were already going.

"I do not understand. Why will you not remain with me? This is our kingdom now. You have seen the power of the shadows and understand Oblivion. You can control it. Why do you choose to give yourselves to it?"

"Nothing can withstand Oblivion, Malhecor. We have reached the event horizon of a black hole, and we, too, must give ourselves to the Void." Danny's voice was hollow, empty, and fading as fast as his body. "You must have known. Even we, children of the Creatrix and rulers of creation by Her hand, cannot stand against the Void. We do not have Her power, for She is the only one who can truly contain and tame Oblivion."

"You tricked me!" Malhecor roared, only to be answered as Danny smiled viciously as the last bits of his essence gave way to the pull of the darkness.

"You have no idea," Danny said, his voice like a whisper on the wind, and then, he was gone.

Turning his head, Malhecor found Sam disappearing as well. "Why? Why would you willingly destroy all that you have fought so hard to protect, destroy all of Her creations?"

"She is beyond us, Malhecor, and always has been. Though this world is gone forever, She will remake another in the same image, with the lessons She has learned allowing Her the wisdom to not repeat the same mistakes." Sam began to laugh, a hideous cackle of insanity, a sound that cut into Malhecor's core with a cold knife, a hyena's laugh of tortured finality. "Only in your victory do you realize the futility of your endeavor, and with your greatest victory, you have been defeated. You were always a fool, my brother," Sam spat out amidst her laughter before she, too, joined the rest of existence in nothingness.

Malhecor looked around himself, felt for the power of Oblivion, and felt nothing but the last vestiges of creation giving way to the pull that had taken his siblings only moments after they had given him that for which he had always yearned. Bowing his head, he could feel himself being pulled apart, his tattered, tortured soul unable to escape the howling emptiness that surrounded him. Kneeling, he offered a silent prayer before he also became part of the nothingness that had shorn existence asunder.

"Forgive me, Mother."


	32. Chapter XXXII

**Disclaimer:**_ Danny Phantom_ and all related characters and information are the property of Butch Hartman and Viacom International, Inc.

* * *

**Chapter XXXII**

Danny released a heavy sigh, his mental reserves being taxed to their limits. Getting into the mind of a human or a ghost was one thing, but trying to make sure that his hold didn't loosen on Malhecor's mind was a challenge in and of itself, the illusion that had to be created even more taxing.

Sam reached out blindly, her hand grazing his arm momentarily before clutching his hand in hers, allowing their strength to flow around them. Between the two, silver energy was flowing like rivers through the air, weaving a celestial tapestry around the Guardians and their enemy.

Faster and faster the energy coursed over the trio, flashes of light bursting forth each time a thread of energy crashed against another, and soon, the three were lost amidst the cascading sparks, their power reaching heights that even the Guardians' previous incarnations had been unable to attain. Slowly, the silver lines began to extend outward, and those gathered near the square stepped back, avoiding the cords as if they carried an electric charge. They could have, for there was little known about this power, and less of a want to find out first-hand what it was doing.

Lines of energy shot down along the street, and the lights that lined the streets flickered momentarily before blowing out. The glass covers that were on the lights remained unharmed, but there was a tinkling sound from each light as the bulbs within shattered to pieces, the shards dancing around within their containing havens. Silver energy pulsed over the streets like a massive highway of veins and arteries, throbbing with a life of their own, and, unseen by those of mortal blood, these were indeed vessels of life-blood – the Guardians were calling to the planet itself, asking for the assistance of the world beneath them for the power to rescue it, and all of existence, from the tainted soul of their foe.

She responded in kind, the Earth Mother reaching out to touch the Guardians, giving them the strength to continue and fortify their illusion, weaving the power of the Creatrix around Malhecor. Deeper into his mind they dove, destroying every feeling of the outside world, drawing him further into his own Oblivion. They pulled from his mind the sensation of every single thing that existed in creation, drawing him into their trap, pulling him beyond the edge of the Void.

Danny's voice rang out from within the walls of their cocoon, reaching into the minds of everyone within the city, and they heard his power, his confidence. This was not Danny Fenton they were hearing, but someone, something more than he had ever been. There was a power to his voice and a wisdom beyond the grasp of the ages, and in their hearts, they knew that Malhecor was losing. "Nothing can withstand Oblivion, Malhecor. We have reached the event horizon of a black hole, and we, too, must give ourselves to the Void. You must have known. Even we, children of the Creatrix and rulers of creation by Her hand, cannot stand against the Void. We do not have Her power, for She is the only one who can truly contain and tame Oblivion."

Sam's voice rang through their consciousness as well, entrancing, captivating, a siren's call to the hearts of humanity. "She is beyond us, Malhecor, and always has been. Though this world is gone forever, She will remake another in the same image, with the lessons She has learned allowing Her the wisdom to not repeat the same mistakes. Only in your victory do you realize the futility of your endeavor, and with your greatest victory, you have been defeated. You were always a fool, my brother."

With a sudden torrent of flashes and a powerful surge from the arterial energy cords, everyone felt a great burden suddenly lifted as the essence of the creature that had once been a Guardian, and had become the bane of the living universe, dissipated, gone forever from their world, as well as the world beyond. A deafening crash sounded from the town square, and in the blink of an eye, the silver power that had been surrounding the Guardians vanished. Blinking their eyes to wipe away the blinding spots in their vision, there were a few who could, at first, see what was still standing, if anything at all. Finally managing to clear their vision, some of the people stepped forward, two vague forms standing at the center of the square.

Maddie was the first to reach the pair, and she stopped suddenly, unsure of whether or not the pair was still alive. As still as statues and as quiet as shadows they stood, eyes shut against the world, and Maddie reached a hand tentatively towards her son, partially afraid of being shocked, more afraid still of finding that her son had killed himself to save the world. Touching him lightly, she stumbled back in shock as his eyes snapped open, orbs of liquid silver turning with oceanic tides locked directly on her. Sam's eyes now drifted open, mirroring Danny's mercurial gaze, and both looked at her, then at the people surrounding them, their opaque eyes showing no emotion and no recognition.

It was then that Danny spoke, and the voice that slipped through his lips was the same as the one they had heard only moments before – deep, resonating with a power beyond belief. "He is gone for good now. He has hurt many and left still more within the Void of Oblivion, their spirits unable to return from that hollow nonentity, but no more will our tainted brethren torment this land, nor will he torture the spirits who have crossed into the next world. He brought Oblivion within himself, and by grasping at a power that none can control, he has destroyed himself in his quest for dominion. Be at ease, and take this time to grieve those lost to his ruination. The war is over, and peace can once again reign in these lands." Danny smiled softly at those assembled, his eyes still unfocused, swirling silver orbs turning upon the crowd before glancing at the Guardian beside him. Wordlessly, the two vanished into thin air.

- - - - -

Clockwork looked over his shoulder, the four members of the Order huddled on the floor, asleep, and his elder eyes caught sight of two forms in the distance. He smiled, knowing at once who they were. He had watched their progression throughout the battle, and had lost sight of them only for a while after their fall to Malhecor, unable to pierce the veil between his world and the one they had been within.

Crimson eyes met hoary ones, and the trio assembled nodded collectively in recognition of one another. Sam spoke, and Clockwork could feel her power resonating within her voice. "He is gone, and there is little left to keep you apart from the world. You know how hard it was for us to breach this world of yours, Clockwork."

"Yes, I do know, but I had to make sure," he said, smiling briefly. "After all, you aren't the only ones who serve the will of the Creatrix."

Danny stepped to the side, flowing his energy over the floor and touching each of the four prone forms lightly, calling them from their slumbering state.

Slowly, the four members of the Order pushed themselves to their feet, bowing their heads in respect of the incarnate Guardians. Silently, they began to leave the tower, heading for the edge of Clockwork's realm, knowing that the conversation that would take place was not meant for their ears, nor for any other being in creation save for the three remaining in the tower.

Moments later, Danny and Sam stepped out of the tower, Clockwork's realm suddenly shifting back within the folds of time in the Ghost Zone. Power audibly moving around the pair, the four followed Danny and Sam as they took off for the Gateway clearing.

- - - - -

Stepping past the curtain of leaves, Danny and Sam were somewhat shocked to find the area undamaged, as if Malhecor had not found it important to attack his particular area. Taking it as a small blessing amidst the hell that had become of both worlds, Danny and Sam walked to where the Gateway had been before the ritual, and both were aware of the spiritual essences awaiting judgment that hovered near the area.

As the Guardians turned their backs to one another, intertwining their hands, the four members of the Order surrounded them, each seated at one of the four quarters and dropping into deep meditation. Calling out to one another through their inner strength, they forged a psychic connection between them all, encircling the Guardians within their raised power, and as mind linked to mind, the four becoming as one cohesive unit, they poured their energy upon the area where the Gateway had once been, the ring of light flaring alive.

"The shadows have passed," Sam intoned, her eyes lit from within by a potent inner fire, "and darkness is gone away."

"The light of the Creatrix has returned this day," Danny continued, his deep voice echoing in the clearing.

"Bound by the children of the one above all," the Order intoned, "sealed by those who understand the delicate need for balance in all things, we call now the power once more."

Sam and Danny continued together, "Hearken now unto our voices, those who wander, lost, between the worlds of life and death. Hear now the voice of the One calling you home, bringing you to peaceful shores."

As the ring of light began to glow brighter still, the Guardians let the silver fluid that had conjoined with them run from their hands to the ground beneath, and they hovered over the reforming Gateway. "We have restored the balance of worlds and brought down the harbinger of shadows, so now do we recall the seal and release the bonds that have locked the doorway between dimensions."

With an audible rush of wind, the Gateway surged beneath them, the silver fluid once more showing the waterfall of images, the multitude of afterlives that waited beyond. Landing at the opposite edges of the Gateway, Sam and Danny knelt, reaching out to the worlds around them, calling the dead to their next life, silently summoning them to the haven of serenity that lay within the Summerlands.

Each in their turn, the essences of those who had passed away within the last few weeks came forth, the Guardians giving themselves to their powers, seeking the truth within each spirit before letting them pass the Gateway, the few malevolent spirits turned away, given new being as residents of the Ghost Zone. Watching as they moved into the next world, Danny and Sam couldn't help but smile at the looks of tranquility that crept over the faces of those who had been allowed beyond.

A sensation crawled slowly up Danny's spine, and he turned to face the spirit that was seeking passage, and shock stole over his senses for a moment as the wizened eyes of the elder halfa met his own, Danny realizing that Vlad had somehow managed to survive a death that should have utterly destroyed him. Though unable to speak, Vlad's mind linked for a moment with Danny's, and the youth sensed the turmoil that had possessed Vlad for so long had finally vanished. Looking into his heart, the Guardian sensed the willingness Vlad had to let go of his ways and his pain. Nodding as the deceased passed the final test, Danny was shocked to see a pair of golden eyes looking into his own silvered ones.

_In seeing the failure I became and the monster that I kept within me, I found something greater than I could have ever managed,_ Vlad spoke through their link. _I am just sorry that I didn't see it sooner, for, perhaps, it would have saved so many so much pain._

"Don't worry, Vladimir," Danny consoled him. "You, like all the others, will be reborn, and you will live to see a new day dawn. What lies in the past cannot be changed, and we can only look to the future with hope, for that is the sustaining power of mankind – their trust in the possibilities beyond."

Vlad nodded silently before stepping up to the circular ingress, slowly lowering himself into the watery veil that cleansed his soul of all its pain, guiding him into the world beyond life with a heart seeking the new and the pure that existed, the horrors and atrocity of his life now fading memories.

A spark of light erupted from the Gateway, and the fluid surged upwards, the four members of the Order scattering as the rising wave crashed down upon the Guardians, Sam and Danny pushed to the ground by the sheer force of the flowing essence, their bodies overcome with a deep cold as they once more absorbed the Gateway into themselves. Spasming on the ground, the pair slowly managed to find their way to their feet, feeling a strange emptiness to the circle that had housed the Gateway for so many long eons.

"It is within you, for you are no longer bound to this place," Anila spoke softly. "You carry not only the Guardians' powers, but also the keys to the Gateway, for it is through you alone that the spirits can attain their new paths."

The four bowed to the Guardians before moving to different areas of the clearing.

Danny and Sam looked at each other for the first time since they'd broken Malhecor, and they both gasped. Though their eyes had regained their original lustrous color, the pupils embraced within the ring of their irises were no longer black. Instead, silver energy swirled there, spiraling in the dance of the cosmos, galaxies twirling in their eyes, and Danny smiled lightly before pressing his lips softly against Sam's, holding her tightly against him as he reached for the space between the human world and the Ghost Zone, tearing a mental hole in the fabric of space-time before guiding them through, taking them from the Gateway Clearing and into his bedroom.

- - - - -

Maddie knocked lightly on her son's bedroom door. Though it had been over twenty-four hours ago that they had taken on Malhecor for the last time, neither he nor Sam had presented themselves to the world. Getting no answer, she opened the door, sucking in a silent breath as she found the two sitting cross-legged on their respective beds, silver energy weaving around them, the nine Warriors kneeling at the foot of Danny's bed, still and quiet.

A few moments passed before the dancing silver light slowed and dissipated, and Danny looked up to his mother, his silver pupils glistening in the light flowing in from the window. Sam, too, turned her head as she opened a portal between the beds, allowing the nine ghosts to return to their home dimension. The pair stood, and Danny was the first to reach Maddie, embracing his mother lightly before pulling away.

"What's up, Mom?"

Maddie struggled to find her voice, her remaining arm quivering, and Danny rested his hand against it, flowing soft, warm blue energy into her, calming her frayed, pained nerves.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…a lot has happened. I'm still trying to deal with it all."

Danny smiled briefly, nodding in agreement. "We all are."

Maddie blinked, remembering something and reached into her pocket. "Vlad left this for you, but I forgot to give it to you before."

"Thanks, Mom," Danny said as Maddie left the room and closed the door.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour," she called as she descended the stairs.

"Okay," Danny returned. "We'll be down later." Floating onto Sam's cot and nuzzling next to her, he popped the seal on the envelope. "I wonder what this is about. Why would Vlad have left me a letter?"

"Only way to find out is to read it," Sam replied, and Danny pulled a thick stack of notebook paper from the envelope. Looking over the pages, he noticed that Vlad had only written on one side, which helped explain the size of the stack in his hand.

_Daniel,_

_I think that it is important for me to speak my mind before things go further downward. I know that there is no real reason for me to even be writing this letter, considering the news the GIW had for your parents today, but this will be my last bit of solace before I, too, fall to this cursed ghost creature you tried to save me from._

_First off, I want to apologize to you for all of my actions over the past few years. I have no excuse for the way that I acted, especially towards you and your father, and more so for the way I was towards your mother. None of you ever did anything to deserve the treatment that I gave, and I was a fool to not see this fact sooner. Jack was my friend and my companion, my lab partner when the three of us were just starting our research into the Ghost Zone, and I had seen the connection between him and Maddie long before the accident. I just thought that…I thought that there could have been something between her and I other than just friendship, and the accident had been something that gave Jack all the distance that he needed from me, and in that closed-minded theory, I have become an embittered old man that missed every opportunity to find the same happiness that your parents have found with each other._

_All I ever wanted, in truth, was a family, a precious thing that would have helped me to escape the bitter past that I had suffered through, and in trying to make you the son I never had, I became the very thing that I swore to my mother that I would never allow myself to be. You see, no one I met in all of my school years ever found out that the parents that came to all the necessary school functions weren't my biological parents, and to this day, you and Maddie are the only people that I have ever told._

_My father was an abusive monster of a man who would go through anyone and anything that stood in his way, and when my mother became one of those obstacles, she suffered a mortal price for that 'transgression'. My father murdered my mother in front of my eyes, even though it was days after her beating that her body finally succumbed to the damage he'd dealt. I ran away from a home a few days after she died because my father found me to be the next target for his rage – a son would be nothing but a burden to raise and a responsibility he didn't have time to shoulder, useless to him until he could find some sort of reason for me to be alive, and he was not a patient man. He had no time for anyone but himself. He was arrested for what he'd done to me, and a few years later, after I had been taken in by another family, I discovered that he had started a fight in the prison he was in, killed by the hands of another, just as my mother had died._

_I had lost touch with your parents shortly after the accident, and I never bothered to get back in touch with them until about a month after I heard that they had been granted the gift of a daughter. One of our mutual classmates had informed me of this, but I didn't give much thought to it. Between the birth of your sister and you, however, was when your parents came into the public eye as amateur ghost hunters, which, by the way, your father still is in a great number of respects. You really should try to help him out with that, or at least try to get your mother to do something. It'd help them both when they're out on assignment or patrol._

_Back to the point, however, I had started to wonder if they had found the fault with the original Portal, and by this time, I had already found the power residing within me. At that point, I had only used it to establish myself as part of the wealthier class, and I wanted to make sure that whatever was going on with their research, they didn't make the same mistake that had so violently mutated me. I got back in touch with them as soon as I could, and soon after, found out that your mother was pregnant again. I stayed with them for a while, overseeing their progress on the ghost technology, but I was relieved to have found that the Portal was the one thing they were unconcerned with. I figured that my task was done, and I left town about a month before you were born._

_A short while later, they sent me a package, a short 'hello and how are you' letter and a couple of pictures, but when I saw those photos of their new son, of you, something broke inside of me, and the idea consumed me that you could have been mine, that you should have been mine, that Maddie and I could have been something. Thus began my downward spiral into the creature I have become. Little by little, my ghost form began to change, and I could never look at myself in the mirror as that change continued. You see, bit by bit, my ghost form changed from a lanky form much like your own, to the muscular, terrible form of my father, and I realized, only faintly at the time, that I had lied to my mother all those years ago._

_I gave myself to my research then, which is why I was able to get a working Portal up and running about three years before your parents. When I found that they had decided to pick up the project again, I decided, somewhat selfishly, to deny them both the blueprints to my own Portal as well as a warning of the risks that the machine could pose to someone if improperly activated. However, as you and I both know, that risk was actualized; it created yet another half-ghost – you. The true danger in this development to my warped mind was that you would come after me, that you would try to destroy me because you were Jack's son. I also feared that you would be the reason that Maddie would be yet further from me. With a power that could have rivaled my own within a short time, there would be little I could do to get to her. Again, I gave into my father's behavioral pattern, and I tried to get through you somehow to get to my real goal, and I cared little for what it might cost. You and Maddie were all that I cared to let survive, though the thought of what would happen to your sister never actually crossed my mind. Kill Jack, marry Maddie, and take you on as my heir and son – that was my master plan._

_Recently, however, when your father came to my door and informed me that I was in danger, I thought that he was kidding. What could possibly be stronger than me? I was stronger than you, would always be, and there was no one in the Ghost Zone that I knew of that could challenge me._

_That's when the revelation of what you were came._

_When I was ordered to run you through the simulator, I thought that Maddie and Jack needed you to practice so that you would have even the glimmer of a chance against Malhecor, but as I kept increasing the power that the ghosts were using against you and raising the difficulty of the simulations, I began to see something beyond my wildest dreams manifesting in you, and the thought that you would be able to take me down began to take over rational thought. That is why I snapped at you that morning. I began to fear for my own life because of the power in you, and I find myself sitting here now, rambling onto a piece of paper, realizing how much of a fool I was, and I am embarrassed to admit that it was only because of the impending and inevitable end of my life, precluded by you and Sam dying, that I was finally able to look back on my life and see what I had mutated into._

_Daniel, I am truly sorry that I did not listen to you, that I tried to challenge you, and that I attacked you. I have taken a surgical saw to the binders that you put on me and removed as much of the outer bracelet as I could, though I can still feel the cold metal twisting in my wrists. I know that you said getting me involved in the fights was the last choice that you'd make in the matter, but I believe that it is a choice for me to make. Besides, I feel something growing inside, some great power that has been buried inside for all these long years. I will take your actions as my example, and though it is my death that comes on swift wings because of this decision, I will stand and fight. I will do what I can with my power to honor your strength, though I also diminish your sacrifice by exposing myself. Forgive me, Daniel, wherever it is that you have gone. This is my final act of defiance against what my father was and the final plea for forgiveness from my mother for breaking the promise that I made to her._

_There is a formal will written up in the castle in the bottom drawer of my bedroom nightstand. Though you are gone, I feel that there is some way that you will return, and I pass all of my possessions on to you and your family. I know that they can be put to good use, and in these, my final moments, I have found peace with myself._

_Goodbye, Daniel and Jazmine, children of my best friends._

_Goodbye, Maddie, my unrequited love, and Jack, my dearest friend._

_Vladimir Masters_

Danny looked over the letter once more before folding the papers and placing them back in the envelope. The writing had become ragged and crooked in the last couple of paragraphs, and Danny could sense the fear that had slowly gripped Vlad as the news sunk in that his last saving grace had been killed.

Turning to Sam, Danny was at a loss for words, and she leaned into him, taking him into her warm embrace. He smiled faintly as a thought came to his mind. "He found the Guardian within him, the light that Malhecor had lost. I saw it in his eyes, Sam. He found the power to fight in those final minutes because he was able to escape the darkness that had taken hold."

Sam smiled as she kissed Danny's neck. "So he survived," she said. "I just wish that we could have found our power sooner. It would have saved so many."

"I'm just glad that we found it at all. We saved existence, Sam. We saved a lot, even if we lost so much." Danny bowed his head. "But I do agree with you. We lost a lot in the end," he admitted, eyes turning to the envelope in his lap, "and there will be a lot of names on that memorial that I was talking about, and I really, _really_ wish that it wasn't the case."

- - - - -

Danny held the small piece of gauze in place as the GIW agent removed the needle from his arm, two pints of silver blood sitting in a bag hanging next to the chair Danny was sitting in, a similar bag hanging near Sam. Sitting up, a thin band of blue energy coursed over the small puncture wound, repairing the area, Sam's green energy doing the same.

"I don't know how your bodies are going to respond to so much blood being drawn, so I'd advise you to get a decent amount of fluids in and to avoid any heavy lifting," the agent said as Sam and Danny began to head out of the facility. "Thank you both for your cooperation."

"No worries," Danny said, grabbing a small plastic container of cranberry juice from the table near the door, tossing a second to Sam. "Let us know if there's anything else you need when the results of all the tests and what-not come back."

Sam popped the thin aluminum lid of the container at the edge, drinking all the contents in one quick gulp. "Take it easy, guys," she called over her shoulder.

The agents that had been collecting the samples and running physical analysis tests over the previous five hours gathered their data and the samples they had collected from the teens before heading for the lab area of the facility.

- - - - -

It had been seven months since the final battle with Malhecor, and Danny and Sam hung back as the governor walked up to the stage. Commissioned four months previous and paid off by the Manson and joint Fenton-Masters estates, a group of sculptors and architects had built the monument that would stand on the hill nearest City Hall. Secrecy had consumed the project, and aside from the fourteen people who were working on the monument, no one else had seen the finished product yet. Even Danny and Sam had kept away from the area during the process, and now, Governor Lurasenic would be revealing it to the world. Bearing the names of the two hundred seventy-four human fatalities, as well as the three hundred and seventeen ghosts lost to Malhecor, all that anyone had really heard of the monument was that there was a lot of work put into a very involved section about halfway through construction.

Danny turned towards his family, smiling lightly as the audience began to settle down. His mother had managed well enough after the fight, and with the governmental funding they had received to develop stronger anti-ghost weaponry, she finally had the means by which to replace her arm. A shining titanium arm was hidden by the sleeve of her shirt, his mother at least having the decency to wear something other than her hazmat suit to the assembly, and Danny watched with a sense of admiration as his mother rose to her feet, applauding the governor as he took his place at the podium, her cybernetic arm moving with the same fluidity of her biological one. Danny smirked on the inside, knowing just how much anti-ghost weaponry that arm was now packing, and it came to mind that half of what was in there shouldn't have even fit, especially with the massive amount of wiring required to form the functional neural interface of the limb. His mother was, indeed, a genius when it came to machines. His father and sister stood by Maddie, the black patch that had covered his sister's eye socket replaced with a dull silver one, the teen having adamantly refused to replace the lost eye. Sam's family stood a few rows back, all three fortunate to have escaped the damage that Malhecor had wrought.

"People of Amity Park, of Minnesota, of the United States, and of the world, I am proud to be her today to present to you a piece of artwork commissioned by the two heroes of our planet. Bearing the names of all who fell during the attacks seven months ago, human and ghost alike…" The governor stopped suddenly, his eyes travelling to the back of the assembled crowd. Everyone turned, and their eyes met with the sight of a ghost, his body cloaked in purple, a clock adorning his torso, an intricate staff in his hand, followed through the portal by four forms hooded in white. The governor quickly regained his stature as the ghosts settled behind the human crowd. "Bearing the names of all who fell, this monument stands as a testament to the faith of the two in themselves, as well as their faith and trust in all of us, existing on both sides of the world." Towering behind him was an amorphous shape covered by a giant tarp, the monument hidden from the eyes of all, and easily thirty feet tall. "In memory of all of those who are no longer with us, and in the spirit of hope for all, this statue lies within the town where the great enemy was defeated, and may all who come upon it for the many years to come know the power by which we have survived." Signaling to someone near the stage, a radio was raised to another's lips, the command given. The whirring hum of helicopter blades soon reached the ears of those assembled, and the tarp was slowly removed as the half-dozen choppers moved further skyward.

A collective gasp filled the area as the monument came into view. Rising out of the hill itself, the base of the statues was adorned with grass and flowers, the natural decorations growing out of hollows in the monument, and a plaque glistened in the sunlight, though, at this distance, no names could have been seen. The rest of the work came into view, an androgynous figure cast of reflective silver stooped onto its knees, a globe embraced within its arms, head turned down towards the North Pole, and another collective gasp was heard as the masses realized that the globe was actually moving, though slowly. The fluid within the orb moved as the tides, and the green that covered the temperate areas of the planet dipped as if brushed by the wind. Hazy white blew over the world, mimicking the movement of clouds, thin and nearly transparent white smoke moving airily across the globe.

The governor motioned towards the crowds, and Danny and Sam took to the air, floating towards the stage, a round of roaring applause surging through the crowd. Shaking hands with the governor, Danny nodded slightly towards Sam, and he stood at her side as she stepped up to the microphone. "My greetings to all in attendance, both here with us and watching from abroad," Sam began, taking a calming breath before continuing. "This statue stands for something many of us put into question when Malhecor's presence was brought to our attention – our faith. Many of us questioned the paths we followed when the existence of the Creatrix, a female Divine, was revealed to us, but this monument stands now as an answer to the question of what the Divine truly is. Neither male nor female, human, yet not human in its ambiguity, the polished surface reflects those who gaze upon it, the message that faith is what we believe, what we find inside of us. Before the final confrontation, Daniel and I were able to speak with the Creatrix, as we call Her, and we discovered this – the Divine One is what you make It to be, and all religions are embraced, just as our world is. By whatever name you call out, be it God or Allah or Yahweh or Goddess or Creatrix, the Divine One will hear your prayers, and through faith shall all of us be strong and united for all the days to come." Sam stopped momentarily, unsure of how to finish, as Danny was initially the one who was supposed to be speaking, and he telepathically guided her through the final part of the speech. "We are one people," she went on, "and there is no true difference among us, so let this begin the dawning of a new day, a day where all are accepted as they are accepted by the Divine – as they are and without discrimination, their individual traits and frailties part of the condition of existence that we are all part of. We are all one family in this existence, both humans and ghosts, and with time, it is our hope that all will understand and accept this. May the blessings of the Divine be upon us all."

A cheer rose from all around, and the Guardians embraced as they faced the statue on the hill, the power of their words resounding around the world, the emotions of all beings cresting within them.

- - - - -

The last of the news crews had departed about fifteen minutes ago, having gotten their fill of answers from the two teens, and Danny and Sam had volunteered to stay behind and clean up the square, the four members of the Order helping them. Clockwork had come to observe the ceremony and had brought the four ghosts with, as he had felt that their presence would have been a small show of the acceptance of the tense alliance between the worlds.

As Clockwork and the four were leaving for the Ghost Zone, Danny heard a small whimper behind him, turning to face a small Labrador Retriever pup that had emerged from the nearby bushes. Though healthy-looking, the dog wore no collar, and Danny and Sam knelt down to reduce the apparent size difference.

"Come here, little one," Sam said softly, stretching her hand towards the small dog, but it took a step back, pressing its ears against its head.

Danny saw something beyond the pup's wet eyes, felt a spark of familiarity, and leaned down further, edging close to the obsidian-furred canine. "Gi estas tutprava. Venu tie ĉi, malgranda oni," (1) he said softly, the words caressing the pup's ears gently, and it leapt into Danny's arms, the Guardian unable to keep the tears from falling from his eyes. "He, amiko, bona vidi vin," (2) he said as he nuzzled softly into the furry neck of the yipping bundle in his arms. Looking up, Danny found tears in Sam's eyes as well.

- LA FINI –

* * *

Esperanto Translations:

(1) – It's all right. Come here, little one.

(2) – Hey, friend, good to see you.


End file.
